The Choices We Make
by morvamp
Summary: It's 117AD and war has erupted between vampires and werewolves.  So what happens when fate brings vampire Damon and a pre-transitioned werewolf Elena together?  Just something that results in the creation of the Sun and the Moon curse.  AU.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note_: Well I'm back with a second story and I hope you all enjoy it. It's pretty much my version of the creation of the sun and moon curse and revolves around the relationship of our favorite couple.**

**For those of you who have read A Bite That Starts It All, you will know that I developed the inspiration for this story while writing one of its chapters. The story you are about to read in the preface is pretty much the same as the one told in ABTSIA with only a few slight tweaks.**

**For those of you who haven't read ABTSIA, it's not necessary that you do. This is a completely new story with no correlation to my first.**

**Rating: M – Adult Content In Later Chapters, Violence, Language**

* * *

**Preface:**

_Eternal life was reserved for the royal families of the time and the werewolves acted as their slaves. They very rarely created new vampires because there was no need to. Their food supply was already limited and with very few births, children were not often brought into the society._

_Tired of being forced into slavery, the werewolves revolted against the vampires in the year 111 AD and war has raged every since. Without the restrictions of sunlight and the full moon; casualties have been extreme, but has had little effect in slowing the ongoing destruction the two species have brought on one another._

_The year is now 117 AD and humans still exist, but most remain hidden because it is their only means of survival. Those that are unlucky enough to get caught serve as sexual servants and food for the vampires. They are kept alive simply to ensure the survival of the species._

_The only humans that are able to survive willingly amongst the two species are witches. Most cooperate with the vampires and some even marry them. When arranged in a marriage, witches are stripped of most of their powers and they are limited to what spells they are able to cast. Specifically, ones that are considered harmful against their spouses are rendered useless. This act was brought on after the uprising from the werewolves in an attempt to dissipate the threat of a witch rebellion as well._

_When the previous vampire king was killed in battle, it was Vasilis Klaus that took his place. He returned home only to find his witch wife Demetra Martin in bed with a werewolf. After killing the werewolf, he threw Demetra into the prison and forced her to begin creation of the first half of the spell that will long after be named the Sun and The Moon Curse._

_This is where our story begins…._

* * *

The attack came so quickly that Elena barely had time to roll out of the way of the throwing knife. She heard the whiz of the silver object as it passed in the exact position she had been milliseconds ago. Once regaining her bearings, she hoisted herself from the ground and sprinted the distance to the nearest tree, swooping down to grab her arrows along the way.

Once safely behind the tall oak, she took a second to calm her breathing. Vampires had incredibly heightened senses and her deep breathes would only draw them to her location faster. And the last thing she needed was a bulls-eye directing them straight to her.

Her family had been successfully hiding and running since the start of the war, not wanting any part in the bloodshed, but it appeared their luck had run out. They weren't a threat but because of who they were, the vampires had decided this was exactly what they were. All of the precautions they had taken in order to secure their safety were now being proven un-affective because the threat was here now. The vampires had found them.

Elena inhaled deeply once more before peering around the tree at the scene playing out in front of her. By this time, her parents as well as the other pack they had been traveling with had all transitioned into their natural forms. They were now battling the attacking vampires, but they were not the ones Elena was concerned with. They could handle themselves.

She quickly scanned the area looking for the dark hair of her younger brother and became panicked when he was nowhere to be found. Only her family and the vampires were present. Dead bodies of both had begun to fill the ground, but she couldn't focus on that now. There would be time for mourning after the battle.

Elena rubbed her eyes and desperately wished she was a few days older before visually sweeping the area again. While doing so, she heard a branch snap a few feet behind her and spun around immediately only to find Jeremy hesitantly making his way behind her. As Elena let out a sigh of relief seeing he was in perfect condition, an older looking male vampire flashed to Jeremy's side and swiped his knife clean over the boy's neck.

The act played out in slow motion as Elena saw the metal slice from one side of her brother's neck to the other. Instead of pain, hate engulfed her insides. There was no longer any need to fear the vampire's impact because the life she had been so desperately trying to save was lost. She responsively removed a wooden arrow from her back sack and placed it into her bow. As quickly as it had taken her to put the arrow in place, it had soared through the air and straight through the heart of the vampire.

Death spread over his outer extremities before concentrating on his face. Once fully engulfed in the stiffness of his end, he fell to the ground on top of Jeremy. Elena ran to her brother's side and feebly attempted to lift the body from on top of Jeremy's, but was unsuccessful. As the blood poured from his neck wound, tears made their way out of her eyes. Through hazy vision, she watched Jeremy struggle with a word, but every attempt came out as a gurgle.

There was nothing she could do, but comfort him at this moment. So ignoring the surrounding battle, Elena lowered her body into an Indian position and placed his head on her lap. She stroked her hand through his unkempt hair and whispered, "I'm here. I love you. It will all be over soon." And it was.

Elena had no time to absorb the reality of what had just happened. As Jeremy's head fell lifelessly against her calf, Elena found herself being snatched from behind. She flailed her arms through the air in an attempt to free herself, but had no success. She tried to reach her arrows, but the hold on her wrists was too tight. There was no budging from the position she was in and instead of feeling comfort in her inevitable end, she only felt more will to live; more will to fight back. She fought against the restrainers hold ruthlessly until a painful blow struck the right side of her head.

Elena found her eyelids sagging as the world spun around her. The hold still remained firmly in place and for a moment she embraced the comfort it was supplying. Without it, Elena knew she would surely fall to the rough foliage of the earth below and succumb to her concussion. The restraining embrace was the only thing keeping her afloat.

Her eyes became extremely heavy and Elena fought to keep them from closing, but finally accepted defeat. As her conscious slowly started to fade away she heard two voices.

"Katherine, what the hell is she doing with a pack of werewolves? She is easily over the age of 18."

"Hell if I know. Just sit her down and help the others finish off the rest of the pack. She's not going anywhere in this state and we can grab her when we head back to the city."

Footsteps disappeared into the distance before the second voice spoke once again. "Just look at you… such beauty. You're going to make an excellent slave."

Then Elena faded into the darkness.

* * *

Damon removed his dagger from the lifeless beast before him and saw the last remaining alive predator of the pack. Although he had never seen the werewolves in their human forms, he had encountered enough to know he had just killed its mate. The predatorial rage that emanated from the remaining beast signified Damon was in dangerous territory, but his confident stance never faltered. He quickly assessed the exact intensity of this wolf as a threat before flashing to its side.

The werewolf had been expecting his attack and refuted it with one of his own. The wolf slashed into the darkness, but Damon had outsmarted him. It had taken merely a side-step to move himself out of the line of impact and lodge his favorite dagger into the beast's throat. As the animal roared with enough intensity to make the surrounding trees shake, Damon jumped on top of him and snapped his neck in one easy motion.

The werewolf's body smashed against the ground and caused an ear-shattering thud leaving a victorious Damon smirking above. He had been at this for six years and hadn't met an opponent worthy of being a threat. Killing was almost second nature to him now and the war between the vampires and the werewolves offered him plenty of practice to perfect his skills. But he often found himself wishing just once that one of these damn animals would offer him some competition. Make his blood pump faster, offer him an adrenaline kick, anything; but they never did. They were always the same stupid, unimaginative beasts.

"Damnit Damon, I told you I wanted the last one to myself." Caroline Forbes made her way across the darkened woods to his side with a heated expression.

The female vamp was nearly as skilled as he was at killing their enemies, with a great emphasis on the word nearly. They had fought alongside each other for about four years now and she was the only vampire he entrusted enough with protecting his back. She was quick, fearless, and lethal; exactly the type of assassin he required on his side.

"I couldn't resist. Besides, you were over there dealing with Mr. Big and Hefty. I'd say that was a worthy enough kill to lift your self esteem." Damon teased.

She slapped him across the back and scolded, "Don't be a dick. I was almost through with him and you know it."

Damon grinned as he watched the overly dramatic scene his closest friend was putting on. "The only thing we both know is that I don't handle patience very well. I saw the opportunity and I took it."

Caroline rolled her eyes and shot him a faux disdainful expression before she muttered, "You're lucky I like you. Otherwise you'd be dead at my feet."

"We both know my skill far exceeds yours, so I'd like to see you try." Damon replied as he lowered himself into a crouch still wearing his satisfied grin. The fight had left him reeling for more and he required just a little competition to take his lingering edge off, even if the competition was just a playful one between friends.

The fire in her eyes diminished and Damon knew it was because Caroline knew the truth behind his statement. He was one of the army's favorite and most successful captains and he led a select small group of immunes, which was simply a solider with special skills. Their sole mission was to hunt down the remaining werewolf packs and kill them all one by one. The position was perfect because it allowed him the control he desired as well as the freedom and space he wanted from the rest of the remaining legions.

At the start of the war he had been just a measly farmer and it had taken a long time for him to get to the position he was in, but there was no way in hell anyone was taking that spot from him. His lieutenant Elijah trusted him fully and with good reason. Unlike the other soldiers fighting in this war, Damon enjoyed the kill. It was what he lived for. When other soldiers went home to their spouses, Damon sat up plotting new attack strategies. His life revolved around this war and the success he created for the vampires in it.

When Caroline had suddenly shown up fit for battle, he didn't even fight the grimace that had spread over his face. He was initially pissed at Elijah for sending him a female. With her platinum blonde hair hanging loosely around her face, Damon knew she was only going to be a distraction. The female wasn't a soldier; she was a damsel. A very attractive damsel that would only get in the way.

But she had surprised him with her abilities once they attacked the first rebel camp. Her movements had seemed effortless as she whipped herself around the colossal beasts; stabbing in just the right places, slicing the necks perfectly, and ripping their jaws apart with ease. She was a lethal killer and Damon had never found himself more pleased with a recruit.

Over the years he had grown to trust the female vampire and trust was not something that came easily. Damon trusted himself above all others, but Caroline had been the only one to break through. Their friendship, well alliance, to one another was the only emotional tie Damon allowed himself to make. Others were simply figures floating in and out of his conscious, but Caroline was important. She mattered, but not in the romantic way others often assumed.

Damon had long ago removed himself from the position of taking a mate. It wasn't in him to love and care for another the way others around him had. His love was restricted solely for his missions and the results they provided. His relationship with death was the epitome of ideal because with his expertise in the field, Damon was never let down. And that was something a female would never be able to guarantee.

A few years back, his weapons specialist Alaric had suggested Damon take on Caroline as his wife. They were practically the same character in opposite bodies, but Damon instinctively knew it would never work out. Caroline was attractive and the sex appeal was there, yes, but Damon simply respected her too much to use and abuse her the way he knew he would. And besides, Caroline had about the same amount of interest in a love life as he did. The two of them were destined to live their lives without lovers. They were savage killers and who would ever want someone like that by their side?

Caroline's voice shook Damon from his previous thoughts as he asked, "What?"

"I said the troops are hungry. It would probably be a good idea to head back to the city since we're so close anyway." Caroline repeated.

Damon took a look at the other soldiers in the group and noticed they looked tired and worn down. They had been on their hunting mission for 3 days now and while Damon felt perfectly fine, the others apparently needed some rest and relaxation. He eyed each of his five immunes in order to size them up before rolling his eyes.

The men were immortal creatures and yet everyone was a visual wreck, minus Caroline. She was his only saving grace, but the others were a disgrace. They had successfully killed two werewolves as a whole, while Caroline herself had killed four and he had killed six.

Their desires and emotions always managed to get the best of them while they were away. Damon had received so many replacements over the years, but it appeared that no one was suitable for a position in his squad. They were all weak and lacked the hunger he was requiring.

Damon made a mental note to sit down with Elijah and discuss his need for more suitable replacements as soon as they arrived back in the city. There were other captains leading groups in these forests for exactly the same purpose he was, but Damon's had been the most successful for two years running. And if he had any chance of remaining on the top of the captain's list, he sure as hell needed more backup than what his soldiers were supplying.

Rolling his eyes once more at the lack-luster expressions on his men's faces, he shot a disappointed look in Caroline's direction and muttered, "Fine. Let's go home. I guess it couldn't hurt to get a good meal in before the next hunting trip."

* * *

Elena awoke in a tub filled with warm water. Her head was screaming for the comfort of sleep once again, but she fought through the throbbing pain. Instead she focused on the soothing sensation of the warm water against her aching limbs.

"I see you've finally come to." A voice chimed in.

Elena's eyes shot open as she turned to find a woman by her side with a rag in hand. The woman dunked the rag into the soapy water and brought it to Elena's shoulder, but she flinched and pulled away before contact.

The woman rolled her eyes and soothed, "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you, just clean you up and make you a little more presentable for the evening."

Elena released the tension from her body and lowered herself deeper into the water. She then lifted her hands to her eyes and rubbed them before questioning, "What am I doing here? Where am I?"

The woman responded with a warm laugh as she responded, "You're in Tyrus, my dear."

Elena found her brain moving at a heightened speed, processing every bit of information she had on Tyrus. The name sounded familiar, but it took her a few seconds to recall exactly why. Understanding fired into her gut like a shotgun shell and Elena immediately felt like she was going to be sick.

She brought her hands to her face and covered her eyes as she attempted to ease the nauseous waves her stomach was providing. She was in Tyrus, the largest and most central city behind the vampire army. It was their capital and housed all of the important position holders in the vampire fleet, including King Klaus.

Elena fought back the tears and refused to show her weakness to the unfamiliar woman who was obviously not on her side, but the overwhelming helplessness was making it almost too difficult to bear. It took all of her strength to mask her face with a believable smile and ask, "Tyrus you say? And what am I doing here?"

The woman seemed to have bought her smile because she returned with one of her own and replied, "You will be serving the elite class of course." She then placed the rag on the side of the tub and placed a hand on either side of Elena's face forcing it to turn in her direction.

As the woman ran her eyes over Elena's features, she clicked her tongue around in her mouth and stated, "You are entirely too beautiful to waste on the average commoner. You will serve the captains and lieutenants, which is a very nice alternative. But first we need to fix you up a bit. You have all of the right bare essentials, but you've been in the forest for too long. Don't worry; we'll have you fixed up in no time."

Elena started to panic a bit on the inside. She had heard stories about human slaves serving the vampire population, but considering her position she never feared it would have an effect on her. She was technically only a human for another couple of days and had figured the only concern she needed to worry about was death, not slavery.

Another concern made its way into her train of thoughts before she found herself crying out in a pleading voice, "How long was I out?"

The lady responded with another chuckle before answering, "I have no idea. They don't really tell me these things, but I do know it's been a couple of days."

Elena found herself gasping for full breaths, but all she managed to receive were shallow weak ones. The day she had been captured marked only a week until her 18th birthday, or better yet, her transformation into a werewolf. Without knowing precisely how many days she had left before phasing, the fear of transitioning any night was a terrifying reality. And once the vampires knew she was a werewolf, she would be dead for sure, so why prolong the inevitable?

She threw her fist against the side of the woman's jaw and heard it crack on impact. As the woman slid down the outside of the tub and onto the stone floor, Elena heaved herself out of the liquid bowl. But as soon as her right foot was about to make contact with the floor, she felt her body thrash back against the inside of the tub. Water splashed against her face and into her eyes causing them to sting from the soapy content. Before Elena had the chance to attempt to lift herself out of the tub again a hand grasped stiffly around her neck. The force from the grip cut off her airflow and Elena frantically beat against the arm holding her in place.

A threateningly beautiful face came into view as another woman began to speak. "There is no use in you fighting me because you know I'll easily win. Your pathetic human body is no match against mine. Here's the deal, you're a slave now and the sooner you accept this fate the better."

Elena knew it was a stupid decision the second she made it, but before she could take it back she spit into the face of the menacing vampire in front of her. The female vamp's face filled with controlled anger as she squeezed harder around Elena's neck. Instead of bringing on another vicious attack, the female simply slid her lips into a sinister smile. "You're a feisty one and I know exactly who I'm giving you to tonight."

Then the female vamp's eyes became very intense as they penetrated directly into Elena's. "I don't give a shit what you do once you are in that room, but until then you will follow every order given to you without hesitation."

Internally Elena fought against the hold the vampire seemed to have on her will, but instead she found herself repeating, "I will follow every order given without hesitation."

* * *

Damon walked through the dim lit hallway towards the direction of the bedroom chambers alongside Caroline. It had only taken a little over an hour to return to Tyrus after their attack, but Damon already felt the overwhelming need to be back in the forest. He hated the decadence of being home, finding it ironic that the forest had somehow become his true habitat. He felt alive while he was away on missions and as soon as he returned, that life seemed to slip away.

He had released his soldiers as soon as they stepped foot inside of the city walls. He didn't require their company anymore and the sooner they left his side, the better. Caroline was the only company he didn't loathe being around. Their back and forth banter always felt natural and Damon enjoyed the easiness that seemed to flow between them when others disappeared.

The two had walked in silence until they reached the first set of chamber doors. At this point, Caroline broke the silence as she announced, "I heard Klaus has his wife working on a spell that will restrict the werewolves from changing at will."

"I've heard the same rumor, but I'm not sure I want to believe it." Truth was… he couldn't bring himself to believe it. If the spell was successful, the vampires would easily have the upper hand in the war and their battle would soon be over. If the war was to come to an end, Damon would find himself obsolete. This was what he lived for and what would he possibly do with himself if this war were to suddenly come to an end?

Desperate to end the discussion on the topic he stated, "But I guess we'll find out soon enough whether it's true or not."

The two returned to their silence as they walked briskly down the hall until a certain female entered into their line of vision. Damon felt his body tense at the sight of Katherine. He had successfully avoided running into the femme fatal since their encounter two weeks ago. Up until that point the two had been using each other purely for sexual purposes. Then she had side-blasted him with the announcement that she wanted to take over his squad's hunting territory.

Katherine was ruthless and manipulative and, more often than not, was able to get her way. She used her sexual attraction to move her way up through the chain of command, but was now stuck as second best captain behind Damon. And that meant second best hunting grounds. While Damon was easily the most skilled, they both shared the same lust for death putting them a step above the rest. But with Katherine it was more than just the kill; it was also about the torture.

She was a cold-hearted bitch who wanted nothing more than to see Damon fail, but he wasn't going to make it easy on her. This life was his and he was damned if the sleazy whore was going to take it from him.

Katherine sashayed her way seductively right up to Damon and brought her face inches from his. He could feel her cool breath flowing from her lips and momentarily felt the need to resume their sexual interactions. But while there was no doubt that she was great between the sheets, there was nothing more to her. No substance, just temptation.

She traced her tongue along the bottom of her lower lip before biting down on it hard. Once noticing she had the desired effect from her audience, she laughed coolly and purred, "We captured a new human today and after working closely with her for the past few hours, I figured she'd be perfect for you."

Damon knew Katherine would never supply him with a suitable human for the night, but there was nothing he could do to change the arrangement waiting for him in his chamber. The day was coming to a close and all of the slaves had already been divided up amongst the other soldiers. He had to deal with the hand he had been dealt and figured that he would at least get a decent meal out of the girl.

Damon narrowed his eyes at the wicked vamp in front of him and didn't attempt to remove the edge in his voice as he replied, "I'm sure she'll do just fine."

Katherine's painted red lips slid into a satisfied grin as her eyes stared into his. "She's got fire, so enjoy her." She then slid around him making sure her body pressed against his as she passed before turning around and adding, "Just remember… she's not me, although we do share a certain physical similarity to one another. You can think of me while you fuck her, but take it easy on her. She's just a human after all."

She then let out a sinister laugh before she whipped around and continued down the hallway.

Caroline shook her head, clearly disgusted, before stating, "I have no idea what you ever saw in that bitch! I mean, you're cold and distant, but she takes it to a whole new level."

"As much as I hate to admit this, she was good in bed." Damon replied while making sure to keep his eyes focused on the path in front of him and not Caroline's judging stare.

Caroline huffed and exasperated, "Well I'd hope so. No one would be able to handle much more than physical encounters with her."

"And that was purely what they were." Damon added as the two reached the stone door blocking the entryway into Caroline's room.

"Because god forbid you actually let yourself enjoy anything else." Caroline teased as she nudged him against the shoulder.

Damon rolled his eyes at her playful observation and replied, "You're the only woman I can stand being around for longer than a single night and we both know that would never work out. So I am left to live a life of perfect solitude."

He felt perfectly normal joking around with Caroline in this sense. The two had a clear understanding that the other wanted nothing more than friendship and it worked for them. They were perfect partners on the field, nothing more.

Caroline shrugged her shoulders and replied easily, "Suit yourself. While you spend a night alone with your feisty newbie, I will be enjoying the comfort of my Angelo."

"Nothing like a stale familiar body to get you excited for the evening." Damon replied sarcastically.

Caroline stepped forward, jolted her index finger into his chest, and defended her opinions. "I wouldn't possibly attempt to get you to understand. What, with a different girl in your chamber each night, there is no way in hell you'd be able to grasp the idea of companionship."

Damon swatted her finger from his chest and countered, "Companionship? Is that what you're calling it? You use the guy for a meal ticket and sex. He's your slave, Caroline, not your romantic companion."

Caroline waved her hands through the air dismissively before she clarified, "I never said anything about romance. I just keep him comfortable and he supplies me with what I need. Unlike you, I actually know what makes my slave happy and in return I get what makes me happy."

His signature smirk slashed across his face as he asked, "And what does he know about making you happy?"

"He knows that I like the taste of his blood when he eats chicken instead of red meat," she replied nonchalantly.

Damon had to laugh at the light-hearted response of his friend. The girl was terrifying on the battlefield and yet, so relaxed at home. For just a second, he wished he could switch off his killing instincts the way she did. But just as quickly as the notion came, it disappeared once again.

He wrapped his arm around Caroline's neck to show he had surrendered. "I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree."

Caroline placed her hand on the top of his head and patted it as though he was a child. She teased under her breathe, "We both know I'm right," before quickly opening her door and sliding behind it.

But Damon was too fast for her action. His hand caught the stone door before it closed shut in his face. Instead of refuting her statement, he simply said, "We're not heading out tomorrow. I need to speak with Elijah about new recruits because the ones we're working with just aren't making the cut."

Caroline brought her face to the crack in the door before rolling her eyes at his announcement. "When are you going to learn that you and I are a rare breed? You will never find recruits that will live up to your standards because they're too high. We just need them as back up to distract the other wolves until we can sweep in for the kill."

Damon knew she was right, but he ignored her comment and shook his head. "I'll fill you in on the new details tomorrow once I speak with Elijah. Have fun with Angelo." He then turned and headed in the direction of his chamber.

As Damon walked alone, he couldn't quite get a grasp on the appeal of spending the night with the same human repeatedly. Caroline's comments only made his skin crawl as he thought about becoming close with a human. He didn't need the familiarity of coming home to someone he was already acquainted with because that would ultimately result in the possibility of an emotional attachment. In his line of work, emotional attachments made you weak and vulnerable; characteristics Damon despised. Attachments only clouded your vision and therefore were unwelcome in his mind.

As he reached the door of his room, Damon paused. The girl waiting inside was more than likely going to be a pain to wrangle in, but he needed nourishment along with other things.

Damon very rarely had the desire to use his humans for anything other than food, but he had partaken in the full benefits of his position a few times. After all, he was a male and there were certain needs he possessed. And after his encounter with Katherine, tonight was one of those nights where those needs were unbearable.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the upcoming battle, which would no doubt end in his victory, and opened the door.

Candles gave the room a subtle romantic lighting and Damon felt his insides twisting. He didn't want romance and Katherine knew damn well the candles would have this revolting effect on him. He mentally cursed the bitch before his gaze landed on the woman on his bed.

She was sitting stiffly on the edge of his canopy bed with her back facing in his direction. He couldn't see her face, but he didn't need to. Her figure was beautiful enough from behind to know she was gorgeous.

The dress she had been placed in was a lightweight fabric that delicately hugged her slight curves. It was white, practically see though, and Damon was instantly aroused at the idea of what the dress would reveal from the front. Instead of the normal dresses he had become all too familiar with, the fabric from this one hung over her shoulders leaving the most important skin around her neck free and easily accessible. Her chestnut brown hair fell loosely down her back and Damon found his eyes following it down her spine.

As Damon's eyes drifted down the woman's flawless figure, he felt a sudden tingle spread over his skin. The sensation startled him and made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. He hadn't even seen the woman's face and she already had more of an effect on him than any other before her.

He knew he should have walked right back out of the room, but instead he found his feet moving him closer to the girl. Damon was only three steps behind the woman, when she turned and faced him; her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Damon's breath caught in his throat as the all too familiar face became visible. It felt like he was staring down the sun and he was completely blinded by its light. It had been six years since he last saw this girl and she had changed significantly, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was her. The image of her face would forever be branded in his memory. She had only been 12 years old when he had said his final goodbye, and yet here she was a grown woman.

It took him a second to come to, but after a moment's hesitation, he mustered up all of his strength to ask in just above a whisper, "Elena?"

* * *

**Well, I hope you all liked the first chapter. I have a few more already written for this story and I am actually pretty excited about where it is leading me. I know I stopped right when the two finally see each other, but it seemed like a fitting stopping point and I promise to post again soon.**

_**Please read and review. :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you to everyone who has subscribed, favorited, and commented on this story already! Your support is amazing!**_

**This chapter includes the back story revealing how Damon and Elena know one another. Since Elena was only 12 years old they obviously were not romantic, but there was love shared between them. Also, Damon gave me somewhat of a rough time while writing this chapter because I wasn't sure exactly where he wanted to go. He's battling two different state of minds here and I hope it came off as believable.**

**Please enjoy. :)**

* * *

Elena had been sitting on the edge of the bed for what seemed like hours. She had been scrubbed, prodded, invaded, and prepped earlier to ensure her sexual appeal for her prospect. All through her preparation process, she kept screaming on the inside. She was enraged with herself over the fact that she had just sat there like a perfect puppet. Whatever Katherine had said to her obviously had an effect and she had done exactly what she had been told. The effects had left Elena feeling betrayed and ashamed of herself for so easily obeying the vampire's orders. And she couldn't shake the fact that it felt like her free will had been removed entirely.

After the vampires had decided she was presentable, the dark haired beauty named Katherine had led her to this room. After lighting the candles, Katherine had left the room saying nothing more than the order to, "Make him work for it."

The vampire hadn't made eye contact when she had spoken the request and Elena had no idea who would enter the room next, but she knew damn well this was an order she didn't need to be forced into following through on. She had no intention of making it easy for her prospect to take advantage of her. Elena knew the man was an immortal damned and could easily defeat her if he tried, but she wanted to make sure he knew where she stood on her own imprisonment. She didn't want this and she sure as hell wasn't going to make this enjoyable for him. Death was sure to be inevitable after her defiance, but at least she would go down with some dignity.

Time alone in the bedroom chamber was the last thing Elena needed. All of the preparations before had at least kept her attention off of the previous hardships of the day. As she sat alone, her mind easily wandered to everything that had happened. She had lost everyone she cared about. All of them were dead and she had failed in protecting Jeremy. The image of his death played on repeat across her vision as the tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

She was just about to let her emotions take over when she heard the stone door of the room open. Elena pushed back her tears, not wanting to let the vampire see her emotional fatigue and prepared her strong front. She heard the demon walk in her direction and was prepared to hate him, but as soon as she turned to look at him for the first time, the familiar man from her past was all she saw.

The look on his face was almost unreadable as he whispered, "Elena?"

At the sound of his voice, all of her fragile strength dissipated. Of all the rooms, she had been brought to Damon's. Strong, honorable, and loving Damon; the vampire who had saved her so many years ago. How unfortunate it was that after everything he had done to secure her safety, she was now exactly where he had never wanted her to be.

The tears spewed from her betraying eyes as she made her way to him.

* * *

As the tears trickled down Elena's flushed face, Damon could only stare. He wasn't sure if he was in hell or the promise land. Mixed emotions surged from inside of him as he idiotically gawked at the beautiful creature from his past.

To his surprise, the girl remained silent as she lifted herself from his bed and rushed towards him. As her hands wrapped tightly around his body, Damon couldn't help the wave of resistance that came from his gut. This girl was supposed to be safe, not here. She was a danger to herself in this city as well as a danger to him. Anger boiled under his surface as Damon remembered the choice he made on the last day they shared together and how little effect it really had in her end result.

"_It's simple. Just place the grass in between your two hands like this and blow." Damon brought the blade of grass to his lips as a squealing whistle escaped his palms._

_Damon watched as Elena once again giggled at the awful sound he was making. The two sat outside of his and Stefan's cottage located roughly a full days distance from the city of Tyrus. They had been at this for nearly an hour and Elena still hadn't learned the proper way to whistle with grass. He couldn't resist laughing at the fact that she had picked up how to properly throw a dagger in a measly 20 minutes and yet, the simple skill of whistling with grass was giving her difficulty._

_Damon and his brother had watched the girl grow up in front of their eyes. Her parents had been their slaves for only 8 years when she was born and the brothers couldn't have been happier to accommodate a new addition. It was normal for a household to accommodate at least 4 slaves so when her brother Jeremy was born, they shared the same enthusiastic attitude._

_While Damon and Stefan were close with the entire family, Damon had found himself most attached with the little girl. Over the years, she had somehow squirmed her way into the center most portion of his heart. She was stubborn, smart, passionate, and inquisitive beyond her years and he loved her unconditionally for it._

_He watched as she brought the blade of grass between her two thumbs with a look of determination. She then glanced up at him for approval and he nodded to show she was holding it correctly. Elena then brought her lips to the grass and blew, but only the whooshing sound of air filled Damon's ears._

_Elena threw the blade of grass onto the ground in frustration and cried out, "I'll never get this! It's worthless!"_

_Damon laughed at her dramatic temper tantrum and picked the blade of grass off of the earth. "It's not worthless; you just need to be patient."_

_The girl rolled her eyes and countered sarcastically, "Like you have any room telling me I need patience."_

_Damon knew it was silly to expect patience from the girl when he barely had any himself, but he was certain he could teach her the skill. "You can get this; I know you can. Just let me help you."_

_He placed the piece of grass between Elena's hands and closed them overtop. "You need to leave a little gap in between your two thumbs or else it won't work." He positioned her hands correctly over the blade and suggested, "Now give it a try."_

_The girl eyed him suspiciously, but otherwise followed his orders. She brought her lips to her hands and blew as a slight whistle escaped. The overjoyed expression that spread across her face was enough to provoke the same from Damon._

_Elena let the grass fall to the ground as she giggled in excitement. "I did it, Damon! I really did it!"_

_Damon laughed at the sight of her in such an excited tizzy. He then scooped her off of the ground and threw her through the air before easily catching her against his chest. "I knew you could. You just needed to keep at it."_

_Elena wrapped her arms around Damon's neck and kissed him softly on the cheek before she said, "Thanks, Damon. What are you teaching me tomorrow?"_

_Damon responded by placing a delicate kiss on her forehead and through grinning lips he replied, "One of these days I am actually going to have to put you to work. I think you are taking this child bit a little to the extreme."_

_She shook her head back and forth to show she disagreed, but did a terrible job of hiding the conniving grin plastered across her face. _

_Damon rolled his eyes overdramatically and gave in, which he often found himself doing in the presence of the girl. "Oh alright. What can you learn tomorrow? How about I take you down to the river and teach you how to…."_

_But he didn't have time to finish his suggestion because Stefan suddenly appeared at their sides looking flustered. Noticing his startled sense, Damon asked, "What's wrong?"_

_The fear in Stefan's eyes was clear as day and left Damon feeling uneasy already. He couldn't possibly consider anything that would leave Stefan this rattled._

_Stefan looked down at Elena and then back up to Damon as he announced, "The werewolves in the city have revolted. Everyone is in an uproar."_

_Damon tried his best to mask the panic from his voice as he sarcastically replied, "Well I guess it's a good thing we don't live in the city then." He then lowered Elena onto the ground and patted her on the back as he said, "Go find your parents and brother. I'll be over shortly."_

_As the girl ran off towards her families' cottage on the side of the house, Damon returned his attention to his brother. With intensely concerned eyes he asked, "What does this mean for us?"_

_Stefan looked towards the direction of the slave's quarters and sighed. "War is inevitable now. The king made the announcement yesterday. He has ordered for all remaining werewolf slaves to be killed."_

_Panic exploded throughout Damon's insides at the idea of Elena and her family being harmed. Although it was uncommon amongst vampires and slaves to form the relationship they had, Damon considered them part of his family. _

_He reigned in his thoughts and questioned, "How long do we have?"_

"_The order was given yesterday, so I'm assuming we have at least a day, maybe two. It took me a full day to return and the soldiers will be moving at a slower pace than I was." Stefan paused reading Damon's expression and objected, "We have to turn them in; you know that right? They'll kill us if we don't."_

_Damon knew his brother was only speaking the truth, but he couldn't simply hand over the family to the soldiers. He refused to offer them up to their deaths. He knew his decision was a foolish one and there were sure to be consequences, but there was no other alternative._

"_We have to get them out of here." Damon announced, ignoring Stefan's previous comment._

_Stefan grabbed onto his shoulder and pulled Damon's face to meet his as he protested. "Don't be stupid. I know you care for them, but it's their lives or ours. Make the wise decision here!"_

"_I'm making the decision for us and I will inform the soldiers of this when they arrive. This choice is mine and I won't let you suffer because of it." Damon responded._

_Apparently Stefan was not as easily swayed as Damon would have liked because he argued, "They're life is not more important than yours and I will not let you fall for them."_

_Damon swatted his brother's hand from his shoulder and shoved him to the ground before landing on top of him in a flash. He let his demon surface and hissed at Stefan to show his intentions as he threatened, "I will let them go with or without your help, but it will be easier if you just agree."_

_Stefan's expression changed from challenging to complacent as he responded, "Fine. But it's your ass on the line, not mine." He then shoved Damon off of his body and stalked towards the slave's cottage._

_Damon remained firmly in place as the reality of the situation overcame him. Life was about to change and he was going to have to face that. But the likelihood of his death brought little fear to him as he considered the outcome; the only fear he felt was directed at Elena and her family. He wasn't sure how successful they'd be at escaping their fate, but he prayed their head start would be enough._

_After a few moments of preparing himself for the goodbye, Damon headed for the cottage. He stepped inside of the doorway to see them all packing in a hurry and assumed Stefan must have already informed them of their circumstances._

_The family scampered about collecting the important necessities for their trip and the image was overwhelming. Damon leaned against the doorframe for support as he watched his family prepare to leave knowing full well that he would never see them again._

_After noticing Elena was nowhere to be found, he stepped around the side of cottage. There she sat with her back against the wooden siding and her arms wrapped around her knees. He made his way to Elena, who watched him through fearful eyes, and took a seat next to her. He wanted to say something that would ease her fear, but found himself at a loss for words. _

_Finally Elena was the first one to break the heavy silence, "It's not fair that we have to suffer because of others like us. We didn't do anything wrong."_

_The girl was entirely too smart for her age and Damon feared for a second that her brains would someday get her into trouble. Either that or they would aid in keeping her alive. He wasn't sure which it would be, but he begged it was the latter._

"_I know it's not fair, but that's life." His response wasn't filled with wisdom, but it was the best he could muster up on the spot._

"_I was happy with my life. I like it here and I don't want to leave." Elena admitted._

_It took all of Damon's strength to keep his emotions from seeping to the surface. He swallowed to relieve the knot in his throat and answered, "And I liked having you here too, but you have to go. It's safer this way."_

_For a moment, Damon thought the girl was going to protest, but instead she wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged tightly as tears slid down her face. "I'm going to miss you."_

_Damon lowered himself down around her body and wrapped her up in his arms. He placed a kiss on top of her ruffled hair and whispered, "I'll miss you too. But we'll see each other again soon." He knew he was lying to her, but it was the best hope he could offer her at the moment. Elena didn't need to have the weight of his decision on her shoulders throughout her life. As much as she didn't act like it sometimes, she was just a child and the only thing she needed now was optimism._

_Elena's father appeared from around the corner and motioned to Damon that it was time for them to leave. With one last squeeze, he released his arms from around Elena and said, "Take care of Jeremy. He's going to need his big sister to teach him everything I taught you."_

_The girl lifted herself from the ground and the comment seemed to have lightened her sprits a bit. She smiled proudly and replied, "I will. See you soon."_

_Damon mustered up a weak smile and lied, "See you soon."_

_He watched as Elena walked to her father's side. The man grabbed her hand as he whispered a heartfelt, "Thank you," to Damon before rejoining the other two members of their family. Damon feebly walked to the front of the cottage and watched as they ran over the hill and into the forest before they disappeared._

_Damon wasn't sure how long he had been standing in the same spot, but eventually Stefan made his way to his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "You should be worrying about us now. They'll be long gone before the soldiers get here."_

_As Damon looked into the distant forest, he knew he had made the right decision. The family would hopefully be safe and out of harms way long enough for the war to die down. However, as Stefan had just pointed out… his fate didn't share the same positive outlook._

Different emotions battled for dominance in his mind and heart as the memory finished flashing before him. He wanted to comfort the girl because he knew that in order to be here, she had to of endured quite a loss. But on the other hand, he was a different man than she remembered. He had a life that he was proud of now and he couldn't let her destroy it.

Easily deciding it best to lift his guard, he stiffened his body and decided she was not worth losing everything.

* * *

Elena let the last few remaining tears trickle from her eyes. As soon as she had wrapped her arms around Damon, she immediately noticed his embrace was as chilled as his body's temperature. The warm welcome she was expecting didn't register in his stance and she almost felt unwelcome in his hold.

As she clung to him, desperate for his past kindness, Damon peeled her arms from around his body. He took a step back creating distance between the two and through narrowed eyes he asked, "How did you get here?"

The edge in his voice left Elena feeling uneasy. He was physically the same as she remembered, dark and beautiful; but emotionally he was all wrong. The compassionate vampire from her past was nowhere to be found inside of this recreated Damon. He was cold, distant, reserved and most importantly, not happy to see her.

Elena chalked his unwelcoming attitude to the fact that he had failed. Of course he wouldn't be happy to see her. He had given her family the opportunity to run six years ago in order to escape this fate; and yet, here she was. But despite the circumstances, fate had sent her a blessing and she needed him to see it. Of all the rooms, she had been sent to his; the only vampire that could possibly help her. She just needed to get him to see that point.

She wiped the straggling tears from her cheeks and stated, "They killed my family, Damon."

To her surprise, he responded nonchalantly, "Of course they did. They're werewolves." He rubbed his forehead and paced a few steps around the room. "What I'm confused about is why they didn't kill you."

There was the tiniest twinge of relief in his last statement, but the matter-of-fact way he spoke about her families end sparked a bit of resentment towards the vampire that had once saved all of their lives. How was it possible that someone who at one point cared so deeply for them could easily justify their deaths?

Figuring heated conversation was probably not the best way to go about their discussion; Elena let out a breath of air and confessed, "They think I'm human."

Damon let out a weak laugh as he stated, "Well, you definitely smell human." He then flashed in front of her and took a strand of her hair between his fingers as he accused, "But we both know that's not the truth."

Elena's heartbeat quickened at Damon's closeness. As a child she felt nothing besides love for him, but it was the kind of love that a sister would share for her older brother. He was her family, but now Elena found herself caught in the intensity of his striking blue eyes. And for a moment, she felt like she was staring directly at the ocean. Her gaze suddenly swept over the features of his face, finding him exactly how she remembered him; stunningly handsome. But with much more mature eyes, she could finally appreciate his beauty.

She felt tingles creep up her spine as her focus landed on his perfect lips and she fought the urge to reach up and touch them. His appeal was intoxicating and she found herself falling under his sexual desire. Just a few inches separated her from what she found herself suddenly craving.

"How are you still human?" Damon asked breaking Elena from her previous trance.

She shook her head, clearing her hazy state and replied, "I haven't transitioned yet. I'm still 17."

Elena watched as Damon mentally assessed her confession. For a moment, she regretted revealing this information. She wanted to trust Damon, but with the way he was acting, she wasn't sure if she could. As much as she hated to admit it, it seemed he was no longer the vampire that she remembered and could very easily turn her in. What she didn't understand was why she was so concerned with that now. Just a few moments before, she had been prepared to die. It would have been a welcome alternative to the pain she was experiencing from the death of her family, but seeing _him_ had lit a spark inside of her. It had provoked a will to survive.

Damon released her stand of hair from between his fingers and asked, "I know you transition at 18, so how long do you have?"

_Not nearly long enough_, Elena thought. She was terrified to confess the truth to him, but what other option did she have? If she wanted his help, she was going to have to be honest with him. "I'm not sure. I had seven days when they took me in, but I was knocked out for a few. I could transition tomorrow for all I know."

It was apparent that Damon was trying to remain unreadable, but she had known him for 12 years. She had been just a simple child at the time, but she had learned how to read him. There was definite concern in his expression and Elena begged that it was for her life, but she couldn't be sure.

While Damon was still considering her confession, interest floated into Elena's mind and she found herself asking, "You're pretty high up on the vampire side now aren't you?"

His eyes narrowed defensively at her statement. "You could say that."

She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer, but the question begged to be asked. "What do you do now?"

He brought his face inches from hers and answered slowly, "I kill your kind."

An overwhelming sense of dread filled Elena's stomach as she took in his statement. Since regret hadn't made its way into his voice, she could only assume that he wasn't seeking her forgiveness. He was simply informing her that circumstances were different. _He was different._

Damon sighed deeply as he stated the one thing she now feared the most. "I have to turn you in, Elena. You understand that right?"

It had been confirmed. Their past history meant nothing to the soulless creature before her. The Damon she remembered was not present here and she hated him for it.

"No, I don't understand that! I am not a threat to you and your species and neither was my family. We have done exactly as you asked for six years. We ran and we hid, but never once have we killed one of you. I never wanted this battle and neither did they." Elena shouted as tears once again welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Damon's stance became rigid as he refuted, "But you're a werewolf! It doesn't matter what you've done in the past because you're still who you are. I don't know what you expect me to do, but I can't just let you walk right out of here."

Elena knew it was stupid, but she grabbed his jaw between her hands and forced him to look her directly in the eyes. If he was going to turn her in, he needed to face his choice directly. "I expect you to show me the compassion that I remember you once having."

Damon swatted her hand from his face and gripped onto her shoulder. The hold was entirely too strong and it hurt like hell, but she wasn't going to show him her weakness. She wasn't going to give him that benefit.

He brought his face entirely too close to hers and stated, "The vampire you remember is gone. Don't expect to see any remaining bits of him here. I helped you once, but there is nothing I can do for you now. You got caught and you're going to have to deal with your own consequences."

Elena couldn't believe how different he was. There was nothing left to say besides the one question that weighed heavily on her mind. "What happened to you?"

Fury filled Damon's expression as he shouted, "What happened to me? I made a choice a long time ago, Elena, and you're looking at the result. While you were out enjoying the freedom that came with your carefree life, I was here defending mine. I did what I had to do in order to survive and that meant killing your kind. So don't you dare judge me for my actions."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he honestly that blind? "Freedom? Is that what you call running for my life? I have never been free. I was born a slave and for the past six years I have been labeled a fugitive! Don't talk to me about freedom because it is the one thing I never had! You made your choices, but at least you had the opportunity to make them."

Damon's hand gripped tighter onto her shoulder as he spat, "Yes, I made them and I am dealing with the consequences just like you need to. You're not twelve years old anymore and it's time you accepted your fate. I didn't get to the position I'm in by being forgiving. And I will not lose everything I have worked so hard to obtain because you want me to embrace this quality."

Elena merely shook her head in disgust. This Damon was a ruthless monster and she wanted nothing to do with him. She lowered her voice and spoke in a level tone as she stated, "Please excuse my ignorance for believing you had one redeeming quality left in you. It appears I was foolishly incorrect."

His expression faltered for a minute into one full of regret, but it was immediately masked again by the stone cold exterior. He removed his grip from her shoulder and took a step back. "My characteristics are what they need to be in order to get my job done."

Elena's stared back at him with intense eyes as she stated, "I just hope that Stefan hasn't suffered the same transition as you."

With that he grabbed onto her neck and slammed her against the wall. Black veins streaked from the edges of his eyes as they became black. "Don't you dare speak of Stefan! You do not get to say his name!"

"Damon, you're hurting me!" Elena cried out through staggering breaths.

At her cry, his face eased back into its normal form and he released his hold on her. As she fell to the ground and rubbed the raw skin around her neck, Damon walked over to the edge of the bed and lowered himself into a sitting position. His hands moved to cover his face, but the terrifying monster was nowhere to be seen as he stared at the floor.

Elena was no fool and she made no attempt to lift herself and comfort him, although it was apparent he needed it. The outer boundary he had created had fallen leaving a broken Damon in front of her.

After a moment of silence, Damon finally spoke up. "Stefan died a few months after we joined the legion."

Elena stared at the weakened state of the vampire and actually felt sorry for him. Stefan had been Damon's only remaining family and she understood exactly how it felt to have that taken from you. She wanted to move to his side, wrap her arms around him, and show him the kindness he had been denying her, but she couldn't. Her feet refused to budge.

Damon kept his focus on the floor as he continued, "I tried to save him, but I was too late. The sorry thing is that it wasn't a werewolf that killed him; it was a human. A measly fucking human! I saw the man, but figured he wouldn't be a threat considering we were surrounded by werewolves. They seemed to be the most important threat at the time. I had just brought one down when I saw the man release the arrow from his bow. It was a moment too late and I had no time to stop it. It went straight through his heart and I watched him die."

Damon finally lifted his eyes from the floor to look at Elena. Instead of the hate that had previously consumed them, sorrow was the only emotion present. "I was the reason we were forced to join in the first place and Stefan was the one who suffered because of it. It was his death that has fueled me to get to where I am because you see; it doesn't help to dwell on emotional ties. It's much better to focus the anger towards your opponent."

At his confession, Elena found herself moving to his side. She couldn't imagine bearing the guilt that Damon appeared to be holding onto and her previous reservations drifted leaving only sympathy. He didn't push her away as she laced her hands around his waist, but instead Damon fell into them. The strength he had been holding onto seeped out of him as he let go of the memory and gave in to her compassion.

She placed her chin on top of his lowered head and whispered, "It's not your fault."

Immediately after her statement had been said, Damon tensed and replaced his outer walls. He removed himself from her grasp and lifted himself off of the bed as he said, "You don't understand, his death _was_ my fault. It was because of me that he was forced to join the legion in the first place."

Elena shot him a quizzical look as she asked, "Why was it because of you? Wait, why did _you_ join?"

She watched Damon emotions waver as he fought between telling her the truth and lying about it. Just when she thought he was about to reveal the truth he shot back, "It doesn't matter and I don't want to discuss this anymore with you."

Elena lifted herself from the bed and made her way to him. With pleading eyes she assured him, "You can trust me. It's okay to let me in if you want to."

That had done it. All progress she had previously made left the room as he narrowed his eyes at her. "You _would_ like that wouldn't you; to get under my skin to the _real_ me? Well reality shock for you, this_ is _the real me and I don't need your comfort or your pity."

She was losing him. He was reverting back so quickly and she desperately needed to hit the pause switch. "Stop pretending like it's a flaw to open up to someone. There's obviously a ton on your mind and you don't have to bear it all on your own."

A smirk slashed its way across Damon's lips, but it wasn't the same one she remembered. This one resembled the one that graced Katherine's face earlier today.

Damon let out a harsh laugh and said, "I get it. You help me and I'll feel the need to help you in return? Sorry to burst your bubble sweetheart, but that's not going to happen." He walked to the stone door before he turned around and announced, "Even if there was a way, I can't help you. I'm sorry." And with that he removed the stone door and slipped through it before closing it once again.

As soon as Damon's presence left the room, Elena found the hysteria of her situation once again taking over. She ran to the door and attempted to move the heavy stone covering the entrance, but it was no use. The strength she possessed was not nearly enough to move the obstacle that Damon so easily had. She beat her fists against the stone before sliding down onto the floor in defeat.

She adjusted herself into a fetal position and tucked her legs up under arms. All hope vanished as the reality of Damon's current state hit her. He was no longer her ally, but instead her enemy and without his help there was no way she would live through the night. He was more than likely on his way to reveal the truth about her transition and therefore hand her over to her death.

Elena let the sobs escape her lips as the reality of her fate set in. Any previous hope she had of surviving this situation disappeared when Damon left the room. Although her impending death had brought out the tears, it was the idea of Damon who kept them flowing.

The show he had put on this evening had been excruciating to watch. She knew she should have hated him for his weakness against the vampires who were controlling him, but she didn't. She still loved him for who he used to be and possibly even still was.

Damon had faltered with the mention of Stefan and a bit of his old self had come back to the surface. Elena knew the past Damon was still there, but it was too late now to pull him out from behind his monstrous shell.

As the tears slid down her flushed cheeks, she mentally cursed the vampires. In the face of her own death, she could not bring herself to hate the man who was turning her in, but instead the vampires who had forced him to become the type of man that would commit such an action.

* * *

**_Well, I hope you all liked the second chapter._**

**_Please read and review! :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Some of you have already noticed, but I started another short story. It came as a complete surprise to me one night while I was attempting to write the fourth chapter of this story. It will more than likely only be three chapters in length, but it is a little more adult than this one. So check it out if you are interested.**

_**Not much to say about this chapter other than enjoy :)**_

* * *

Damon let himself fall back against the stone door. He felt the vibrations as Elena's fists slammed against its other side and momentarily hated its ability to mute conversations. Typically he loved this enhancement to their surrounding foundation, but it would have been so much easier if someone else could have heard what had just gone down inside of his room. At least then he wouldn't have to deal with turning the girl in himself.

He slammed his fist against the floor in irritation as a wave of guilt crashed against the base of his stomach. The feeling was completely unfamiliar and he hated himself for it. He knew what he had to do, what he _needed_ to do, but why wasn't he moving to do it?

Damon brushed his hand through his dark hair and let out an unnecessary breathe of stale air. He was ashamed of how easily Elena had managed to get him to open up about Stefan, even if it was just for a moment. He had never let anyone see his pain regarding his brother, not even Caroline; and the fact that Elena had, only meant she was too dangerous to keep around. She _needed_ to be handed in.

He lifted himself from the ground and started down the corridor to Elijah's bedroom chamber. He knew it was late, but considering the circumstances, he knew Elijah would forgive his intrusion. A werewolf in the heart of Tyrus was a good enough reason as any to barge into the lieutenant's room in the middle of the night.

As his feet began ascending the stairs to the next level, Damon fought back urges to turn around. His conscience kept bolting him with images of the 12 year old girl he used to know; the girl he gave up so much to protect. But Elena wasn't the same 12 year old girl from his past. She was his enemy, plain and simple.

And besides, she had gotten under his skin way too easily. She had evoked emotions from him he wasn't even aware he had anymore. Of course she had managed to piss him off, but she had also managed to make him feel the need to comfort, protect and save the same way he had six years ago. He was a different vampire now and those feelings were not acceptable. _Well, not acceptable to him._

Each footstep he took closer to Elijah's door rang through his eardrums like a siren alerting him to back off and it took every ounce of his will to keep moving forward. Once at the door, he lifted his fist only to find the traitorous limb frozen in mid-air. He closed his eyes and pleaded with his arm to cooperate, but instead the limb fell lifelessly against his side.

The action was simple and the obvious one to make, and yet everything was fighting against him. He needed to turn the girl in! She was about to become a werewolf and even if she escaped the city walls, how long would she really last on her own anyway?

Yes, technically he was doing her a favor. Klaus' wife was about to create the spell that would ensure the vampire's success in the war. Soon everything would be over and Elena would have nowhere to run to anyway. At least this way, he could ensure her death was quick and painless. She would no longer have to bear the pain of losing her family; he could give her an easy out.

Satisfied with his internal reasoning, Damon lifted his hand to bang on the door once more. As he moved his fist a few inches forward, images of Elena made their way into his vision. First they were images once again of her as a child, but then they were replaced by images of the woman he had seen just moments before; the same woman that so desperately needed his help.

Damon shook his head in disgust and let out a frustrated growl as he brought his hand back against his chest. Loathing himself, he turned back around and headed in the direction of a new door.

The choice to save Elena once again was a stupid one and he knew it. He hated himself for it actually, but his damn morality was weighing too heavily on his shoulders for him to go back on it now. He would help the fucking girl get out of the city, meanwhile keeping his assistance a secret from everyone but her, and be done with Elena once and for all. He was a master at strategizing, so this was going to be a piece of cake. The only thing he needed to worry about was not getting emotionally attached.

He had seen the momentary lust in her eyes and Damon was no stranger to the look. Most females expressed this same desire in his presence and normally he could care less, but the problem was that he had enjoyed it coming from Elena; enjoyed it a little too much. He wanted the same respect and adoration she had shared for him as a child, but he also found himself _wanting_ her to lust for him. And that was a dangerous problem.

Damon banged his fist against the door of the last person he wanted to encounter, but unfortunately it was his only option at the moment. Katherine had been the one that captured Elena in the first place and if he was going to help in her escape mission, he needed to know exactly how long he had to work with. Hopefully the bitch would be too wrapped up in her escapades to question why he needed the information. Katherine was smart, but she was also easily distracted.

The door swung open as Katherine emerged. By the state of her, Damon had interrupted quite the sexual situation. Her dress still remained on, but just barely. The bottom had been shredded into pieces and hung in different layers down her long legs. Her hair was disheveled in only a way that would be attractive on the evil vamp and she was covered in splotches of blood.

At the sight of Damon, Katherine slid her lips into a satisfied smile revealing her bloodstained fangs. She leaned her shoulder along the stone framing of the doorway and placed her hand on her free hip. "Would you care to join us? I can make it worth your while." She then pulled the fabric from her dress off of her shoulder revealing her bare breast as it slid down her side.

There was one time when Damon would have found this extremely erotic, but at the moment it only appeared desperate. Katherine was just a manipulative vampire with only one move- sex. And if he took that away, she had nothing.

Getting entirely too much satisfaction out of denying Katherine of what she clearly wanted, Damon shook his head and responded, "You look like you're having enough fun already without me."

Katherine licked the spare blood from the corner of her lips and purred, "But it could be more fun with a third. You see, my slave is very eager to please." She then slid the door open to reveal a blood covered male strapped in place on top of her bed. His eyes were wide with fear and it was apparent he was not enjoying the experience nearly as much as she was.

Damon's expression must have contorted into one full of concern, because Katherine felt the need to explain. "Oh don't mind him. He's enjoying every minute of this. I just compelled him to play hard to get because I prefer it when they scream."

Damon fully believed the second part of the vamp's statement, but he wasn't buying the first. Her human appeared terrified and kept mouthing the word help in his direction. The worst part was that Damon actually found himself wanting to help the poor bastard.

What the hell was wrong with him? What, now since he decided to help Elena his sympathy was just going to continue pouring out? No fucking way that was happening. Damon removed his eyes from the slave and focused them solely on Katherine. "I need to know when you captured Elena."

Katherine's eyes narrowed at his direct request and he immediately regretted including her name. It wasn't like him to get to know his food and Katherine knew this. "And why are we suddenly so interested in our slave? I know I picked a ripe one for you, but could it be that you've found someone to replace me so easily?" She moved her lips into a pout, and Damon could see the jealousy was genuine. Maybe the temptress really did have a soft spot in her non-beating heart, but he seriously doubted it.

Damon wasn't interested in playing her silly games right now. He had one objective on his mind and in order to get Katherine to comply, he had to shoot her down rough. He had to make it hurt. "You were never important enough to me to need replacing. I only had you out of pure boredom, so don't flatter yourself into thinking it was anything more. Now just answer my question."

Katherine rolled her eyes at his statement, ran her hand through her hair and nonchalantly replied, "Deny it all you want, but I can smell your lust for me." She then traced her fingertips down the fabric covering his chest until they landed in a firm clamp over his member. "If I recall correctly, I know _exactly_ what you crave and I can make that painful desire all go away."

Irritated by her pitiful attempt at foreplay, he roughly grabbed onto her hand and lifted it into the air. "Despite what you may think, there's nothing here. So just answer my question."

Katherine let out a huff and slumped her body a bit in defeat. "You are such a buzz kill when you're acting all righteous. Fine, I brought her in two days ago."

No longer wanting to take part in their meaningless conversation, Damon threw her hand against her chest and headed down the hallway back towards his room. The last thing he heard was Katherine screaming, "We both know you'll be back. They _always_ come back," before she roughly slid the door shut.

* * *

Elena found herself laying on Damon's bed staring at the cracks etched into the ceiling. Damon hadn't been gone very long, but it had been enough time for her to accept his decision. She understood it had been a heavy request to expect him to simply ignore the risks in order to help her escape. And it had been silly of her to assume that just because of their history, he would offer his support in her impossible idea. How the hell did she figure they would be able to pull such a stunt anyway?

When the door slid open revealing an alone Damon, she found herself apologizing. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to do so, but for some reason she felt it necessary to make his see she understood. "I'm sorry that I expected so much from you. It was a ridiculous idea thinking I could escape in the first place. I know this is your world now and things have changed, so I shouldn't have expected..."

Damon held up his finger indicating he required her silence. Elena obliged as he announced, "We have five days."

The statement swirled around in Elena's mind until she finally realized its meaning. Elena had no idea how she was supposed to respond. Was he telling her that she would help her? And how did he find out she had five days left?

She couldn't stop the shocked expression that consumed her face and Damon immediately found the need to clarify his statement. "Don't go reading too much into it, but it seems I can't bring myself to turn you in."

A smile stretched across her lips as she cocked her head to the side and asked, "What changed your mind?"

He pondered the question a moment before admitting through a disgusted expression, "Moral fiber."

It appeared she had been incorrect about two things. First one being that Damon obviously believed it possible for her to escape and the revelation sent a trickle of hope pumping through her bloodstream. Second being that Damon still had redeeming qualities that she had so ignorantly pointed out earlier that he hadn't. The revelation of this brought an even larger flow of hope pumping through her bloodstream.

Perhaps it wasn't too late to revert Damon into his once former self. He _was_ still there and with every moment, came the possibility to bring him back to life.

Curiosity got the best of her and she found herself questioning, "How do you know I have five days left?"

Damon shook his head back and forth as he quickly replied, "Doesn't matter. What matters is that we now know how long we have to work with."

She would have appreciated a more detailed explanation, but it appeared she wouldn't be receiving one. Without thinking twice, Elena raised herself from the bed and threw her arms around him in a thankful embrace.

At her touch, Damon's form once again became rigid as if one movement from him would result in a severe infestation. He let her enjoy a moment before prying her hands from around his body. Elena wasn't sure, but she could have sworn she saw him fighting back a smile through the process.

Crushing any confirmation that she had been correct, Damon huffed and stated, "Alright, none of that hugging crap anymore. I think it's time to lay down a few ground rules or else I'm not going to help you in this impossible charade."

Elena's smile drifted from her lips as she questioned, "Ground rules?"

Damon positioned himself along the side of the wall and stated, "Yes; first one being the hugging. You're not 12 years old anymore, so I don't think that needs to be included in our physical contact anymore."

Elena rolled her eyes at his ridiculous rule and sarcastically replied, "Right. How am I supposed to forget that I'm not 12 years old anymore with you constantly reminding me?"

Damon let out a low laugh, the first one she had heard from him in six years, and said, "I'm just making sure you understand that circumstances are different. Our relationship is different. It's not appropriate for a grown woman to be hugging a grown man and it's even less appropriate for someone of your kind to be hugging one of mine."

Elena couldn't ignore the idea that Damon had only created the no hugging rule because it involved physical contact. And more importantly, she couldn't ignore the idea that physical contact provoked things from him that he wasn't ready to embrace. Immediately following the thought, she mentally scolded herself for considering such a ridiculous notion. Damon was now obviously the type of vampire who liked his space and that was the one and only reason he didn't feel comfortable contained within her arms.

She didn't approve of his rigid ways, but he had agreed to help her. She had no other option but to reply in a mocking tone, "No hugging. Got it."

Accepting her agreeance, Damon continued. "Second rule is no more questions about my feelings." He shivered as he spoke the word as though it was the most frightening thing that had ever escaped his lips.

Elena couldn't help but feel the need to clarify his statement as she asked, "Does that include personal questions or only questions regarding your feelings?"

Damon narrowed his eyes and responded, "Depends on the questions you intend to ask."

There was one question in particular that Elena desperately wanted to ask, but she knew it would only spoil his lightened attitude. She wanted to know why Damon had enlisted in the legion because somehow she knew this would define why Damon had become the shut-off creature he was.

After deciding it best to hold off on the important question for the sake of continuing their discussion, Elena instead asked a different one. "Are you happy here?" She was surprised when the words came out, but she found herself genuinely wanting to know.

A low growl came from Damon's throat signifying his obvious irritation at being asked such a question. The growl was not threatening, but Elena found herself taking a step back in order to supply more space between their bodies.

Feeling safer, Elena dramatically let out a breath of air. "Not sure if I should take that as a no or an I-don't-like-that-question. Either way, we can move on to another one."

She moved to take a seat on the bed feeling slightly more relaxed than she had before. She wasn't sure if it was the best idea, but she decided to test Damon's response to her teasing. "I don't see how considering your total lack of friendliness, but do you have any friends?

He shot her a look that clearly meant he wasn't ready for a joking environment, but otherwise remained silent. So she tried another.

"What do you do when you're not working? I mean, are you stuck in here?" He once again didn't respond to the question, so Elena attempted an alternate method at getting him to respond. Maybe if she reminded him that he wasn't speaking with a stranger, he would be more willing to reveal information about himself. "I was just curious. I can imagine this place could become quite boring considering you were always happiest when we spent time outdoors."

Damon remained motionless, but his face faltered slightly as she spoke of their past. Seeing the momentary breakthrough, she asked a question she had been building herself up for. She wasn't sure she was ready to hear his answer, in fear it wouldn't be the response she was looking for, but it had to be asked.

Elena looked up at Damon, wishing for the connection of his eyes, only to find them planted firmly on the floor and questioned, "Did you ever think about my family?"

Although he hadn't even started, Damon was apparently finished answering questions. He let out a frustrated sigh and looked up to finally meet her eyes. "Why does it even matter?"

_Because she had thought about him every day; that was why it fucking mattered!_ Instead of repeating the statement out loud, Elena kept her reserve and countered, "Are you going to answer anything I ask?"

Damon smiled weakly at her statement and took a seat next to her on the bed far enough away that any physical contact was impossible. He turned to face her and said, "What I don't understand is why you are asking me personal questions instead of the obvious one. Aren't you the least bit interested in hearing how I intend to break you out of here?"

His question was a reasonable one, but Elena really had no idea how to answer it. She should have been focusing on their goal of her escape, but instead she found herself more interested in getting to know the new Damon. They had been so close and she had lost everyone else, so was it really too much to want the familiarity of having him back in her life? Even if it was for only a few days?

Realizing it best to be honest, Elena sighed and responded, "We have five days to figure out how I am getting out of here. I know you could easily go back on your decision within those five days, but I'd like to believe you won't. I'd like to believe that what we shared in the past is enough reason for you to want to save me, even if it is a selfish expectation."

Elena knew her next action could result in destroying the feeble structure holding Damon open, but she made it anyway. She scooted herself closer to him on the bed and reached out for his hand. He flinched at the contact, but otherwise kept his hand in place as she said, "I haven't seen you in six years and it would be nice to catch up. Get to know you again because, truth be told, I've missed you."

Sensing Damon's resistance at her statement, Elena felt the need to lighten the air. She cocked her head to the side and mocked, "I'm not sure if you remember, but we used to be fairly close when I was younger."

To her relief, he let out a laugh and Elena knew Damon was still there. She hadn't lost him to the heaviness of her confession. He removed his hand from her hold and rubbed it over his forehead. She witnessed his inner battle as he wavered between answering her questions and completely shutting them down.

His hand finally dropped to his side signifying he had come to a decision. He let out a huff before he answered everything in one go, "Yes I'm happy here. Well, most of the time. I have friends, but only one that actually qualifies as important. While I'm here, I spend most of my time training my team or down in the weapons cellar. But I'm not here often. My job is one of the few that allows me plenty of time in the forest and I take advantage of it as frequently as I can, because as you pointed out, I'm happiest when I'm outdoors." He paused a second before he finished, "And yes, I thought about you all of the time."

Elena was extremely surprised that he had felt comfortable enough to reveal that much information about himself. She figured he would have answered a question, maybe two, but he had gone down the list perfectly, not missing a single one. She processed all of his answers and mentally formulated how they contributed into the type of vampire he was, but found herself focusing on his last.

She hadn't missed that his final answer included the word you and she desperately found herself wanting him to clarify if it stood for her family or simply herself. She considered asking him a moment, before realizing how desperate it would sound.

Elena didn't realize she had been mindlessly staring at Damon, until he shot her a quizzical look. She felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment as she explained, "Sorry, you just startled me by answering everything. That's a lot of information to process, so I needed a minute."

Damon's face was unreadable and for a second she feared he could easily see through her pathetic lie. But relief seeped through her when his lips lifted into a warm smile. A betraying sigh escaped her lips, but if he had noticed he was polite enough not to mention it as he suggested, "How about I give you the whole night to process everything?"

Elena found her head shaking in opposition at his suggestion. She wasn't ready to end the night so quickly. She was just breaking the surface of his exterior and it wasn't enough to leave her feeling satisfied; she needed more.

He laughed at her opposition and argued, "It's been a long day for you. You've endured a lot and despite what you think, you need your rest."

_She didn't need rest, she needed more answers._ She looked at him with determined eyes and assured, "I'm not tired, really."

Ignoring her remark, Damon lifted himself from the bed and stated, "Well I am and that brings me to my third and final rule."

He turned back to look directly at her with intense eyes as he demanded, "You follow my orders without questions. Second guessing me could be the difference between your survival and your death." He then grabbed some fabric from a container nestled in the corner of his room and lowered himself on a spot on the rug covering a section of his floor.

Elena shot him a disbelieving look and questioned, "What are you doing?"

Damon whipped the fabric through the air as it fluttered and settled around his body. "My skins a little more resistant than yours, so you can sleep on the bed. I don't mind taking the floor."

Elena rolled her eyes at his childish behavior. They were both adults and it wasn't exactly like they were strangers; sharing a bed shouldn't be uncomfortable. "I'm not contagious Damon and I think your bed is big enough for both of us. You don't have to sleep on the floor."

He was about to refute her statement, when Elena spoke up again. "Don't be stupid. There is no need for you to be uncomfortable when there is enough room on here for both of us. You're saving my life, so the least I can do is give up half of the bed."

Damon appeared to consider her statement for a moment before he gave in. He threw the fabric against the stone wall and, before Elena had time to blink, every candle in the room except for one had been extinguished and he had placed himself next to her under the covers on the left side of the bed.

It had been a while since she had seen him take advantage of his supernatural abilities and it was something she was going to have to reacquaint herself with. Noticing her startled and impressed expression, he playfully wiggled his eye brows at her. In response Elena muttered, "Showoff," before she smiled to indicate her joking intention. She then rolled her eyes at the vampire as she took her spot next to him in the bed.

She rolled to her side to face him as she asked, "Are you going to tell me now how you plan on getting me the hell out of here?"

Damon lifted his hands and rested them behind his head as he nonchalantly replied, "Honestly, I have no idea. I only said that so you would stop asking me questions."

His honesty came as a shock, but the even bigger shock was that Damon had no plan devised. She had assumed that he would have already worked things out in his head and the fact that he hadn't made her extremely frustrated. "Don't you think we should maybe figure that out before we go to sleep?"

His finger suddenly covered her lips and Elena shivered at the contact. Thankfully Damon ignored her reaction as he whispered, "Shhh. I'll figure it out tomorrow."

"Damon…." Elena protested while swatting his finger from her lips.

"Third rule remember." Damon simply reminded.

Elena huffed, feeling like a child being controlled by her mother, but otherwise obeyed. They remained silent for a few moments before she felt the need to inform him, "It's been a while since I've had the luxury of sleeping under a blanket. So I'm apologizing now if I'm a cover hog."

She heard Damon rustle a bit under the fabric of the bed before he sarcastically responded, "I'm a little stronger than you, so if it comes down to it, I can always steal them back. Now go to sleep."

Elena felt the smile lift the corners of her lips and immediately felt guilty. Considering everything that had occurred throughout the day, she shouldn't have felt comfortable. And she sure as hell shouldn't be smiling. Her family had been taken from her, her life was in totally chaos, but she was no longer alone. This single realization eased her discomforting guilt and Elena felt the smile return.

She had succeeded in recruiting Damon. He was once again her ally, but she couldn't deny that there was potential for something more. She could feel the electricity from Damon's body calling for her to inch closer, but she resisted. He had just agreed to help her and blatantly made it clear that physical contact was not in his agenda, so pushing this desire would get her nothing. Accepting that allies were the only thing the two would ever be, Elena abruptly shut off her thoughts and to her surprise, Damon had been correct and sleep came easy.

* * *

Damon remained motionless as Elena's breathing became heavier signifying her succession into sleep.

He knew she was exhausted, but he hadn't ordered her to rest solely for her own benefit. Truth was, he had lied and he sure as hell wasn't tired, but he had started to foolishly reveal information that didn't need to be revealed. And sleep was the only way he could get her to stop talking before he found himself in trouble.

Before he had returned to the room that evening he had mentally assured himself that he no longer needed to be heated with the girl as he had been before. He knew he still needed to be careful and reserved, but as their conversation flowed he found himself wanting her to learn things about him.

He had tried to resist, but communicating with her had been easy. She pushed him, similar to the way Caroline did. Once he had finally given in, their back and forth had been surprisingly comfortable, but the difference between Elena and Caroline was that he didn't have the constant resistance pulling from his chest when he spoke with Caroline. She didn't ask him personal questions because she knew better. And these were the only types of questions Elena seemed interested in asking.

She wanted to know him, and rightfully so. He was the only person she had left and he resisted the urge to let himself acknowledge that she was practically the only person he had left in return. He sighed and also resisted the sudden feeling that he somehow needed her as much as she needed him.

He turned to gaze at Elena and watched her chest move slowly up and down to the rhythm of her breathing. He ignored the hunger scratching at this throat as his eyes made their way to her face and he studied the flawless features that it possessed. In her sleeping state, all despair had been removed from her expression. The pain of the day had been swept away and all that remained was a peacefully beautiful woman he suddenly found himself craving.

As much as he wanted to, Damon couldn't deny that a spark had been lit inside of him today; a spark that desperately needed to be put out. He was completely unfamiliar to the experience the emotions were provoking from within and the helplessness frightened him. This was because he somehow knew that every moment spent with Elena brought him closer to the possibility of that spark igniting into something terribly overpowering; something where the end results would be disastrous.

It was true that the girl held a certain something that separated her from the rest, but she was a different species entirely and in his world there was no room for a partnership like theirs. Whatever feelings that were sparking inside of him needed to be extinguished quickly because they would only result in something that could never happen.

He painfully removed his gaze from Elena and turned to face the wall. While she was out of his vision, she remained firmly planted in his mind and he cursed himself for foolishly making the choice to save her. This girl had possessed a powerful hold over him as a child so how had he expected to be able to stand against her as a woman? Perhaps he subconsciously knew these emotions were going to develop all along and that was the reason he had saved her.

Shaking his head at the audacity of his thoughts, he refocused them towards the plan he needed to devise in order to get Elena out of these walls. The plan that would free him of this pathetic state and back to the normalcy that, only hours before, he had called his life.

* * *

_**Please read and review. :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took me so long to update this time around. I've come to the conclusion that I will apparently not feel 100% satisfied with any chapter of this story as I post it. I have my fingers crossed that this is simply because I am too cynical of my own work and not because of any flaws in the story.**

**Alright… about this chapter: Some other characters are incorporated in this one, but rest assured that there is still Delena time. I have the basic plotline of this story developed finally so I figured it was time to start working the other members in.**

**Also, Damon is slipping a lot faster that I originally wanted him to and I am finding it difficult to keep him from giving in to what he ultimately wants. I'm hoping that I can keep him standing strong, but it appears my romantic heart is just begging for them to get together already. It's rather annoying actually, but I am determined to make this story continue the way I had originally planned for it to. And that means just a little more time spent revising chapters after they are written. I promise it wont be a full week in between chapters again, but at least a few days.**

_**Now that I'm finished ranting, please enjoy the new chapter!**_

* * *

Damon opened his eyes to the sensation of a warm Elena pressed into his side. He fought back another wave of hunger as he turned to gaze upon the source of the comforting warmth. Her hair was an absolute mess and cascaded around her innocent face, but Damon couldn't stop the swell of longing that bubbled up within. He lifted his hand to push a few strands from her face and immediately pulled back realizing what he had just done. He shook his hand through the air as if the essence of her hair lingered on his fingertips before quickly removing himself from the bed.

At his sudden movement, Elena stirred but remained asleep and Damon couldn't have been more relieved. After that hideous display of endearment, the last thing he needed was her up and speaking to him again. The only person he needed to be speaking to this morning was Elijah about the pitiful performance of his immunes. Because once the problem of Elena had been solved he needed to get back to his life and before he did so, things needed to be properly prepared.

Making sure not to wake Elena, Damon carefully slid the stone door of his room open before softly closing it behind him.

Damon briskly headed down the corridor to Elijah's office taking notice through one of its windows that it was still extremely early in the morning. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, but Damon knew Elijah would already be up. The vampire awoke at the crack of dawn each day and was typically one of the first to retire in the evenings.

Once reaching Elijah's office, Damon slid the door open without knocking.

Elijah sat in the window of the room peering out at the surrounding city before he turned to face Damon. A pleased grin slid across his lips as he asked, "How did I know it was you?"

"Because I'm the only one that would enter your quarters without knocking." Damon responded coolly.

Elijah let out a low laugh as he agreed, "Very true. How was your last hunting trip, Damon?"

Damon closed the door sealing off Elijah's room from the rest of the castle and took a seat in one of the empty chairs. He positioned one leg on the other before he responded, "Extremely successful as always. The packs are becoming less frequent, but we managed to take down a solid 32."

Elijah tapped the tips of his fingertips together as he assessed, "Very successful indeed. Your victories never cease to amaze me, but let's not be coy. I know full well why you have paid me this visit and I have already granted your wishes."

Damon shot him a confused look and asked, "Excuse me, sir?"

Elijah rolled his eyes and stated, "Every time you go off for a few days you return unsatisfied with your immunes. Am I not correct?"

Damon laughed at how well his lieutenant knew him and realized he was entirely too predictable. "You know me well."

Elijah responded, "Indeed I do. I've decided to take an alternate route with your supply this time. I have requested only two new recruits for you, both in which are female."

Damon stared back dumbfounded as he asked, "Female?"

Elijah smiled as if he had been expecting this sort of response from his captain. "You seem to get along best with your soldier Caroline. There has to be a reason behind this and I assume it's because you expect less from her due to her sexual orientation."

Damon laughed at the idea of expecting anything less than perfection from Caroline's performance. "I assure you sir that my expectations are no less towards her than any of the others. Her performance is nearly as skilled as mine and that is the sole reason I have never had a problem with her."

Elijah swatted his hand dismissively through the air and reasoned, "Regardless of the reason, I would like you to give the two ladies a try. They might surprise you."

Damon was not at all thrilled about the idea of being around more women. The ones encompassing his life already were more than enough to handle, but what could he do? Nothing, that's what. Complacently he replied, "If you think it would be best."

Damon's acceptance of this information caused a smile to grace his lieutenant's face. "I would like you to train Rose and Anna personally."

While in no way was Damon enthusiastic about the idea of training his new soldiers, he realized the opportunity it provided for him to remain at the castle for the full five days to execute Elena's escape strategy.

Knowing full well that he rarely spent more than a night or two in between hunting trips, Damon had realized while plotting that in order to keep other vampires from raising suspicions towards his unnatural actions he would need to get Elena out immediately. Last night this realization had been a relief considering how easily he had been slipping in her presence, but he now found himself appreciative of the extra few days' option.

Keeping the relief out of his voice he responded, "Absolutely sir, but I would like the permission to keep their sessions strictly in the training center for the time being. I think five days is all I will need to prepare them for actual combat."

"Do whatever you want. I trust you to make the authoritative decisions needed to get them up to your standards." Elijah lifted himself from the window ledge and walked towards Damon. "However, there _is_ something else I need your assistance with."

"Whatever you need." Damon responded a bit too eagerly. The all too convenient opportunity to remain in the castle had his mind reeling with ideas of how to get Elena out.

"Klaus' wife is not performing nearly as quickly as he would like. It appears his threats on her life are having no effect, so I figured we'd try another method." The clever look of a scheme was shining from Elijah's eyes and Damon knew without a doubt he would be suckered into being involved.

Not exactly understanding why he needed to be a part of it, Damon questioned, "What could I possibly do to make Demetra work faster?"

A cunning grin lifted the edges of Elijah's lips upward as he answered, "Your effect on women is completely unsurpassed by any other male in this city. I think you know _exactly_ what I am suggesting."

Damon couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did Elijah seriously want him to flirt with the king's ex-wife in order to get her to speed up creating a spell that would destroy any chance of Elena surviving once she made it out of the cities walls?

Noticing Damon's internal dilemma, Elijah felt the need to reassure him. "I'm not asking you to sleep with the woman. I am simply asking you to spend some time with her. She's been locked in a dungeon for over a month and I'm sure she'd enjoy some male company. Just use your cunning wit and charm to win her over and simply push her towards working more quickly towards our goal. The task is simple really for someone with your appeal."

Of course it would have been simple; if he actually wanted the spell to be created in the first place. Realizing that he had no other option than to agree, Damon found himself half-heartedly responding, "Sure."

A delighted smile played on Elijah's lips as he said enthusiastically, "Fantastic! I'll inform Klaus that you will be paying her a visit tomorrow."

Damon held the sarcasm from his voice as he muttered, "Perfect."

Elijah rested his hand on Damon's shoulder as he suggested, "I also took the liberty of arranging your first session with your new recruits. It starts promptly in a half hour. And please be on time because I'm sure they're anxious to meet you."

Damon was fairly certain the girls were anything but excited to meet him. His reputation of being a ruthless work-horse was no secret amongst upcoming soldiers and the girls were about to experience this attitude first hand. And while he wasn't exactly anxious to get a start on the girls' training, he was ecstatic for the distraction from Elena and the opportunity to let his true nature shine through again.

He nodded his head at the lieutenant and responded, "Will do. See you around, sir."

As he walked back to his room a concern abruptly came to him. What the hell was he supposed to do with Elena while he was out training his new recruits? He couldn't send her off on her own and he definitely couldn't leave her in his room all day, but what other options did he have?

The thought of her confined to the slaves quarters with all of the other pieces of trash made him cringe. The conditions were barely tolerable and the other slaves were not exactly the greatest company, but she would have to deal. He still had a life to live and he couldn't simply drop everything in order to watch her around the clock. She was a grown woman and would have no problem handling herself… still the idea left Damon dissatisfied.

Once he had reached the stone door of his room, Damon paused to take an unnecessary deep breath. The terrible act he had performed on Elena this morning flashed through his memory and he mentally told himself to remain strong. The woman waiting in his room was overwhelmingly beautiful of course, but she still remained just a woman. He was Damon fucking Salvatore, the smartest and most successful captain in the legion and there was no way he was going to let a girl get the better of him.

After reassuring himself that his confidence was more than able to handle the vision waiting in his room, he slid the door open.

* * *

At the sound of the door's movement, Elena ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to salvage its messy state. She had awoken to a silent and empty room just moments before only to have a flood of panic rush to her gut. Damon had been gone and although she wanted to trust that he hadn't gone back on his decision to save her, the doubt still remained.

Seeing him walk through the door caused her to body to relax and the sly grin on his face reassured her that he was still firmly positioned on her side. The sensation caused a huge smile to grace her face in response as she welcomed, "Good morning."

Damon slid the door shut behind him before responding, "Morning. How did you sleep?"

Feeling entirely too self-conscious, Elena once again found the need to run her hand through her hair in an attempt to repair its messy state. After attending to the mess atop her head, she felt as satisfied as she was going to be and replied, "Amazingly! You have no idea how long it's been since I've slept in an actual bed!"

Damon cocked his head to the side, threw her a comb and smugly asked, "Six years?"

Suddenly embarrassed about her past living conditions as well as the obvious destruction atop her head, Elena felt the heat flush under her cheeks. She quickly ran the comb through the tangled mess as she confessed, "Actually… yes."

Damon then took a few steps and positioned himself along the wall. "Well, you will be able to enjoy it for another three nights. I've decided we're breaking you out of here the day before you transition."

"Why then?" Elena figured Damon would have wanted her out of the way as soon as possible. He had a life that he needed to live and she couldn't help but feel like a constant distraction.

He seemed to consider her question a few moments before he finally answered, "I have some business that I need to attend to for the next few days and I know the guards that will be patrolling the floors that evening. I figured if we got caught sneaking you out, they would be more likely not to intrude on our plans."

The reasoning seemed rational enough, but Elena couldn't help but feel that he was lying to her. He had taken entirely too long to consider his answer and he hadn't appeared confident in his response. Plus, his eyes did that twitchy thing they always did when he wasn't being fully honest and felt pressured.

She wanted to push him for the real reason behind waiting so long, but figured it best not to. Damon appeared to still be in the same friendly mindset he had been the night before and she knew that pushing him for the truth would only result in this enjoyable atmosphere disappearing entirely.

And truth be told, she was thoroughly excited about the idea of spending another four days with her vampire from the past. Being around Damon was comforting and she knew as soon as she was out of the city she would once again find herself alone.

Ignoring the painful stab of heartbreak in her chest at the thought, she shrugged her shoulder and nonchalantly replied, "Works for me. It's nice to see that you've actually thought this thing through this morning. I admit I was a little nervous last night when you told me you had no idea what the plan was."

Damon rolled his eyes at her statement and refuted, "It was the first night, Elena, and plans don't magically poof from thin air. But don't worry; while you were sound asleep, I was placing everything together."

Elena set the comb down on Damon's bed and narrowed her eyes as she pointed out, "I thought you were tired last night?"

Her keen sense of observation appeared to have caught him off guard. His eyes shuffled back and forth signifying his search for a decent lie before he gave up and answered, "Fine, I lied alright?"

His eyes became wide and his hands spastically shot through the air as he congratulated, "Points to you for remembering my every word."

His hands came down, but the wild look in his eyes still remained as he continued, "Just like I lied to get you to stop asking questions last night, I lied to get to sleep. There was no way I was going to be able to think about your escape plan with you chatting mindlessly in my ear."

Elena had to giggle at his flustered state. It was quite enjoyable seeing how easily she could provoke a rise out of the previously reserved vampire and the fact that her effects came this easily made her throat tighten in understanding. _She was important to him._

Damon must have noticed the startled expression that came with her realization because he quickly started to explain the escape mission. "But seriously, here's our game plan. It's going to happen at night after everyone has gone to sleep. There will still be some straggling vampires awake and perhaps in the corridors, but that's an issue we're going to have to deal with when it comes."

He pointed his index finger to the floor as he continued, "I've decided to take you out the entrance of the dungeon. We have a prisoner down there now, but I'm having a meeting with her tomorrow and I'm hoping that after an afternoon of my wit and charm she will agree to keep her mouth shut."

All previous thoughts had evaporated and Elena found her full attention focused on the plan. It was difficult to believe that Damon's charm wouldn't succeed on anyone swooning at his feet, but she still had concerns. "What happens if she doesn't? And besides, aren't there guards watching the prisoner?"

"Don't worry; my offer will be impossible to refuse." A devilish glint shot through Damon's eyes and Elena found herself even more worried, not that he would be successful but instead of what he planned to do in order to get the female prisoner to cooperate. Immediately after thinking the thought she scolded her childish behavior. _Was she seriously jealous of Damon's future intentions with a female prisoner in order to save __**her**__ life?_

Damon didn't seem to notice her building insecurities because he continued on, "And only one guard secures the area at night and I have every intention of supplying my own soldier for this particular evening."

It seemed Damon had worked everything out, but the thought of including so many outsiders made Elena's heartbeat quicken in fear. She fully remembered his answer to her third question the night before regarding friends and knew perfectly well he really only had one. She was curious if this was the friend that he planned on recruiting to assist in their mission.

Damon must have sensed her worry or heard her accelerated heartbeat because he took the few footsteps to plant himself directly before her. He reached out his hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. His musk was intoxicating and Elena immediately felt her desire surge back from within. That same stupid desire that was _not_ acceptable or returned by the object of its creation.

With genuinely concerned eyes he stated, "You don't have to worry about anything. Everything will work out exactly according to plan and you'll soon you'll be free of these walls."

He cocked his head to the side as he lightheartedly reasoned, "You'll be back to running for your life, but at least you won't be confined to a room all day or sharing the same bed as me."

Elena was sure Damon could see the fear in her eyes as she peered up at his and questioned, "How am I supposed to survive without anyone?"

It was blatantly clear that he was becoming entirely too uncomfortable with the direction their conversation had taken. In typical Damon fashion, he let out a low laugh and rolled his eyes as he dismissed her concerns. "I'm sure you'll handle yourself just fine."

Before she realized what she was doing, Elena lifted her hand to cup the side of his face for physical support and confessed, "I'm scared to be on my own again."

To her surprise, agony shot across Damon's expression, but his face remained slightly pressed against her hand and she found herself once again getting lost in the perfectly stunning blue of his eyes. They penetrated into hers and she could almost feel the genuine emotions that were trapped, but frantically building behind them.

His breath was ice cold, but as it came in contact with her warm lips they tingled in anticipation. Her mouth became dry and she knew it was because she was considering the touch of his lips against hers. She imagined the perfect union the two would make when they finally came in contact with one another and became instantly aroused at the idea. She was so close to that vision becoming a reality and for the first time, she could sense he truly wanted it too.

_Bang. Bang._

Damon quickly turned his head in the direction of the door breaking the previous intimate moment and Elena couldn't fight the disappointed sigh that escaped her lips. The same lips that still furiously tingled in excitement of what almost happened and Elena immediately hated the person on the other side of that door for interrupting.

As Damon flashed to the entryway, Elena realized that at least the moment had informed her that he was fighting the urges to give in to her just as much as she had been for him. She knew he would more than likely deny it, but she had seen the hunger in his eyes. The very same hunger he had seen reflecting back at him through hers. There was no longer any doubt in her mind, Damon wanted her; and therefore she would no longer second guess her own desires.

Elena watched as Damon began to slide his door open. He had made barely enough progress for someone to get through when an infuriated petite blonde vampire barged in. She punched Damon on the shoulder, rough enough that Elena could tell it had hurt and screamed, "Girls! Damon, you have got to be kidding me! You know I don't work well with females!"

* * *

Damon couldn't have appreciated Caroline's interruption any more than he did. The fact that she was obviously fuming did little to spoil the relief he felt at this exact moment. He had told himself to be strong. He had prepared himself for it, but Elena's smile once he had entered the room and the way her eyes lit up at his return had made him falter.

She had been so damn giddy and relieved to see him and he couldn't remember the last time he had felt needed like that. The sensation of being needed for survival instead of death sent a warmth coursing through his chest and after feeling it he had decided that more time was what he needed. Actually, it wasn't what he needed and more what he wanted, but that was beside the point. He had no idea who the guards patrolling the castle would be that night; all he knew was that he wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

And then that fear in her eyes had caused him to come completely unwound. She was so genuinely open and vulnerable to him that he couldn't deny her the hope she needed. The hope that he would make sure that without a doubt she would get out of these walls. The same walls he wanted to lock her inside for an extra three days.

And finally she had touched him. That gentle, loving touch he so entirely did not need. She had peered up at him with her doe eyes and he had found himself frozen in place somewhere between pulling away and pushing forward. Before Caroline's intrusion, Damon knew with full certainty that something terrible would have happened opening the flood gates for everything he found himself not prepared for and he couldn't love his friend enough for stopping it.

Not realizing that a relieved smile had firmly planted itself on his face, Damon focused his attention on the heated vampire.

Caroline's expression transitioned into one full of disbelieving hate as she questioned, "You think this is funny, don't you? Agree to females on the team even though you know full well that dear ol' Caroline doesn't play well with other girls? You are such a selfish asshole!"

With relief still swimming through his stomach, Damon released a hysterical laugh despite knowing it would only result in pissing of his friend more.

Caroline smacked him again, but this time she made contact with the back of his head. "How could you possibly agree to this?"

Laughter still came from Damon as he assured, "I'm sorry. I promise you that I had no idea until Elijah gave me the news this morning. There was nothing I could do; he already recruited them."

This response seemed to ease Caroline's fury a bit, but not nearly enough for her to halt her interrogation. "Couldn't you have at least put up a fight or something? Damon, you know I hate _all_ women." Her lips then made their way into a pout and the previously enraged vamp now resembled a toddler whose toy had been taken away.

Damon placed his hand on top of his friend's shoulder and stated, "And _you_ know there is no refuting Elijah. What he says goes. Believe me when I say there was nothing I could do."

Caroline rolled her eyes accepting the truth and replied, "I understand." She then pointed her finger at him and demanded, "Don't expect me to train them or watch their backs when were out on the field!"

Another chuckle escaped Damon's lips as he said, "I'm actually training them myself and I would never expect such a thing from you."

His friend shrugged her shoulders and released a sigh as she smugly muttered, "Good."

Damon heard the shuffle come from Elena as Caroline's head shot in her direction. Realizing for the first time that the two were not alone, Caroline asked, "Who the hell is that and what is she still doing in your room? Slaves were supposed to be relieved a half hour ago."

Damon shook his head back and forth as he observed, "You sure are a spitfire this morning."

Caroline shot him a questioning look as she replied, "I'm just a little confused here. You have never had a slave sleep in your room before, let alone kept one past their allotted time."

A nervous tingle shot up Damon's spine. Caroline was incredibly observant and it would take her only a matter of time to put two and two together, but in this moment he realized that he needed her. If he was going to be training his new recruits he needed someone to keep an eye on Elena. He just had to remain positive that his friend wouldn't figure things out.

Noticing his hesitation, Caroline's eyes went wide and a gasp came from her lips. "I can't believe what I am seeing. Is it possible that Damon Salvatore has finally become attached to someone?"

Damon nervously glanced towards Elena's direction and noticed she was eagerly awaiting his answer just as much as Caroline. Not wanting to share this type of information with the girl, he focused his attention back on the vamp and insisted, "Let's discuss this in the corridor."

Caroline effortlessly pushed the door open and motioned towards the hallway as she offered, "After you."

He took a step through the door before Caroline slid it shut in place. She wasted no time before grabbing onto his chin, forcing him to look in her direction, and heatedly questioned, "What the hell is going on and don't you dare lie to me. Something is up between you and your human in there and I want to know what it is."

Damon rolled his eyes at his friend's forward attempt at receiving information. He knew he had to lie to her, but considered it should be fairly simple since it wasn't exactly too large a stretch from the truth.

He slowly removed her hand from his face and admitted, "I find her intriguing, alright?"

Caroline squealed in excitement before she began spastically jumping up and down.

Damon quickly stretched out his hands and placed them on top of her shoulders forcing her to remain planted on the ground. "Stop that! It's not that big of a deal."

The female vamp's lips twisted upwards into a smile and her expression oozed happiness. "Damon, don't you see how exciting this is? You're my best friend and despite how I may act, I'm a girl with bubbling emotions trapped inside. I have watched you stalk the halls of these corridors completely detached from everyone for years. I have _waited_ for this moment since the day I met you and I couldn't be happier that it's finally come."

"Seriously you've waited for this moment?" Damon shook his head at his own statement and corrected, "Don't answer that."

Caroline's face lit up and revealed an adoring expression as she stated, "You're embarrassed; that's so cute! But really, you shouldn't be embarrassed at all. It's perfectly natural to find a particular human appealing. And I can understand why you've chosen her; she's very pretty."

Damon couldn't believe the way his favorite soldier was acting. She was utterly embarrassing and he wanted his best friend back immediately. Besides, he couldn't stand talking about Elena and her physical appeal any longer.

He transitioned his face into one consumed with seriousness as he asked, "Could I please have Caroline Forbes back? I'm not sure what you've done with her, but I can't stand you actually behaving as a female. It's too much to handle."

Caroline laughed at his attempt to mellow her excited tizzy, but ultimately obliged. She rolled her eyes as she muttered, "Fine. I'm back and completely void of all excitement."

A smile returned on Damon's face as he confessed, "You can be excited, just not spastic. And I'm actually glad you are because I need your help with something."

His friend narrowed her eyes at his sudden change in tone and questioned, "What exactly do you need me to do?"

Damon shrugged his shoulders as he nonchalantly replied, "Just watch Elena for a few hours."

All excitement vanished from Caroline's expression as she spat, "Excuse me?"

He grabbed onto her shoulder and pleaded, "I have to train the new recruits and I don't want anyone taking her away. She needs a shower and food, but I don't like the idea of her being in the slaves' quarters all day on her own. Just accompany her there for a few hours and inform Lexie that I am requesting the girl indefinitely."

She shot him a heated look as she countered, "Babysitting isn't exactly in my job description and besides, did you misinterpret my statement about not really playing well with my own gender?"

Damon squeezed into her shoulder as he begged, "Caroline, I have never asked anything of you before. Please just do this one thing for me."

Caroline huffed and refuted, "Please. I save your ass on a daily basis."

Damon rolled his eyes and clarified, "But I've never asked you to do so. You do that simply for your own enjoyment." Noticing her hesitation, Damon shot her a desperate look and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. "I could _really_ use your help on this one. It's important to me."

Caroline let out a dramatic sigh before surrendering. "Fine. I'll babysit your human, but only because you groveled." She looked to the floor and then back up to his eyes before she teased, "You know, this soft side really becomes you. You've got spunk this morning and it's a nice alternative to the all-work-no-play you I'm used to."

Damon shot her an irritated look as he threatened, "Don't push it Forbes."

She giggled in response to the rise she had gotten out of him and stated, "Have fun with your recruits, Salvatore. You owe me."

Damon snorted before he responded, "I don't owe you anything." He then turned to head in the direction of the training center.

At the sound of Caroline sliding his bedroom door open, Damon spun around and added, "Oh and Caroline, not one person touches her besides you. You got it?"

Instead of answering his question she stated, "This territorial thing is _really_ going to take some getting used to."

"Caroline!" He barked, elongating her name.

The female vamp rolled her eyes as she responded, "Got it, nobody touches her. _Ghesh_ you're testy this morning," before sliding the door shut behind her.

* * *

_**Please read and review. :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Lots of Authors Notes Before This Chapter.**

**I changed the rating of this story because I still have no idea what rating to give it. If anyone knows which rating is appropriate for a story that contains language and a little bit of adult content, please let me know! Thank you.**

**Someone asked about the possibility of Damon turning Elena into a vampire before she transitioned. I've considered this, but out of pure laziness I am just going to say that it's impossible. I've tried working the explanation into the story a few times, but haven't been able to. Werewolves are born with the specific gene in their system that triggers transformation and if combined with vampire blood the end result is death. Although I got the basic idea of this story from the movie Underworld, the ability to make a hybrid in this created world doesn't exist. So sorry, Elena can't become a vampire.**

**And finally, this chapter is extremely long and I actually debated holding off the last section until the next post. But after realizing everything that needs to be fit into the next chapter, I decided to just include it. Since it's so long, I've only proofed the chapter once so hopefully there aren't too many mistakes and I apologize if there are. Hope you all don't mind!**

_**Please Enjoy.**_

* * *

Elena watched as the blonde vampire closed the door to Damon's room once again locking her inside. The vampire held a sour expression on her face and Elena felt exactly the same way. She was less than enthusiastic about spending the day with the female who had interrupted her almost moment with Damon and wanted nothing to do with her.

The vamp eyed Elena up and down without saying a word and for a second Elena felt her pulse race. Damon obviously trusted this woman, but she didn't know shit about her. The vampire held the strength to do whatever she wanted and the idea was terrifying.

To her relief, the female finally broke the silence. "My names Caroline and it appears I'll be babysitting you for a few hours. I'm not doing this because I'm a genuinely nice person, so don't get the wrong idea."

Feeling the need to inform the girl that she shared the same attitude about their situation, Elena found her voice and spoke up. "Well I'm Elena and I'm not exactly thrilled about the arrangement either."

In the blink of an eye, Caroline stood in front of Elena and had her finger jabbed into her chest. There was fire behind her eyes as she threatened, "You don't speak until I ask you to. You got that?"

Elena wanted nothing more than to swat the bitch's finger from her chest, but knew better. The female in front of her was an eternal damned and possessed far more strength than she did. There was no way she would walk away unscathed if she continued to pick a fight. So instead of acting out the actions she wanted to, Elena accepted defeat and remained silent.

This seemed to have pleased Caroline because a smile slid across her lips. If the girl hadn't been so testy, Elena considered the fact that they could have possibly been friends. But the possibility of this ever happening was slim to none because Elena didn't need friends and this girl was making it more than clear she wasn't offering.

Caroline then turned and headed to take a seat on the bed. She ran both of her hands through her hair with a snooty look on her face before she finally continued, "Damon seems to consider you important, which is quite incredible really. I know him well enough to understand it's not just about your looks. You're pretty of course, but there are a hundred other gorgeous vampires walking these halls that he could easily pick from."

The vamp crossed one leg over the other and shot Elena a penetrating look as she stated, "There's something else going on here and I plan to get to the bottom of it."

Elena knew she wasn't supposed to speak out of turn, but the fear of Caroline digging deeper into her relationship with Damon gave her the strength, or stupidity, to do so. Elena rolled her eyes and responded nonchalantly, "He said I reminded him of someone from his past."

Caroline narrowed her eyes and let out a hiss as she heatedly asked, "Did I ask you to speak?"

Although her restraint hadn't last long, Elena was finished. It wasn't in her nature to sit obediently and let someone walk all over her. So instead of following the little voice internally screaming for her to cool down, Elena found herself refuting, "No, but I'm not just going to sit and listen to your external monologue all day. You wanted to know why Damon was so interested in me and I gave you your answer. If you ask me, I'd say I did you a favor."

Caroline then flashed and held her face inches from hers. There was determination behind her blue-grey eyes as she informed, "You have no idea who you're dealing with. You may not want to obey, but there are ways to get you to shut up."

Elena lifted her nose up in disgust as she refuted, "And what is that? Break my arm? I'm sure Damon would be thrilled to come back to me in that state."

A sly grin lifted the side of Caroline's lips upward. She took a piece of Elena's hair in between her fingers and twirled it to the tip as she slowly whispered, "No, something that requires no pain at all. Just take a look into my eyes and I can make you my puppet for the day. It's called compulsion sweetie and it's one of our many perks that make us superior to your kind."

Realizing that Katherine had used this exact perk on her yesterday, Elena understood that Caroline was speaking the truth. Still, being compelled seemed like the better option than backing down from this overly-confident bitch.

She took a bold step forward and stared into Caroline's eyes as she countered, "You may have tricks that make your skills more superior than mine, but at least I'm still alive."

To her surprise, the vampire lifted her hands to cover her mouth and let out an excited giggle as her expression changed instantly into a relaxed state. She lowered her hands before she assessed, "You're feisty so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there's hope for you after all."

Caroline then walked to the door before she turned around and asked, "Would you like something to eat?"

Elena stood dumbfounded by how quickly Caroline had shut off her anger. There was still a small amount of heat seething from the vampire, but now she appeared almost friendly. Elena didn't trust this vampire, but the idea of food was too tempting to resist. So after a nod of her head, she joined Caroline at the door.

* * *

Damon walked past the door of the training center and into the weapon's cellar as he called out, "Ric!"

A man emerged from the side room with a wide grin on his face. "Damon, it's good to see you man. How you been?"

Damon placed his hands on the table in front of him and replied, "Well, I'm sure you've heard I have new recruits that need to be trained. So things could start looking up."

Alaric positioned himself on the other side of the table opposite Damon and after a roll of his eye he said, "I seriously doubt that. It's no secret you're never satisfied with your recruits, but good luck trying."

Damon let out a low laugh while considering the fact that everyone seemed to have an opinion on his high standards and Alaric was no exception. He had been working closely with the human for years now, but unlike the other slaves, Ric actually had a skill that was useful. His expertise in crafting silver and metal had made him exempt to the standard living arrangements assigned to humans. Instead he had his own bedroom chamber and supplied the vampires with all of the weapons they needed for success.

Despite the fact that he was a human, Damon had always enjoyed Alaric's company. The guy was straightforward and he was a master at his trade; two traits Damon viewed with upmost respect. And besides, the guy had personally designed and created his favorite dagger therefore earning himself Damon's check of approval.

Plus, the guy had been dealt a rather difficult hand. Although Ric's skill had landed him prime residence in Tyrus, his wife was located in a cottage a good three days distance away. Humans were never offered free rides, so Alaric had made the choice to save his wife from the duties that came with being a slave. And since Ric had proven himself extremely useful, no one had objected to this arrangement.

Damon was all too familiar with the guy's personal arrangement, so out of common decency he asked, "How's Jenna doing?"

Ric rubbed the base of his chin and answered, "She's doing really well. I got a letter from her this morning and apparently Bessie just had another calf."

Damon grinned at his friend's delight at the news and sarcastically responded, "I'm sure that was a wonderful sight to see."

The man then let out a laugh as he reasoned, "Hey, it means she's fed for at least another two months so I'm sure she didn't mind in the least."

Speaking of food only made Damon realize how hungry he actually was. He hadn't fed in four days and the cravings were becoming uncomfortable. But as the swell of hunger scratched at the back of his throat, he roughly swallowed and fought through the urge. He wasn't drinking from Ric and he sure as hell wasn't going to drink from Elena, so he'd just have to wait it out another couple of days. He'd gone days without feeding before, so he could handle this.

Ric's attitude changed from friendly down to business as he verbally assumed, "So I'm guessing you came to see me about getting some serum?"

Damon smiled as he stated, "You'd be right."

Ric nodded his head before entering the side room. Once inside he called out, "Is there anyone in particular you want to use today?"

He shook his head as he answered, "You know I'm not picky. Just surprise me."

The guy re-emerged with a vile full of fluorescent liquid and teased, "Well that's an understatement if I've heard one." He then placed the serum into Damon's hand and added, "I'll bring one out in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Ric." Damon then wrapped his fingers around the syringe and headed into the training center.

He immediately spotted the two girls standing in the corner looking extremely nervous and Damon couldn't resist the smirk that made its way across his face. The girls had good reason to be nervous because this session was going to kick their asses. Despite whatever training they had previously received, it in no way prepared them for what they were about to endure.

As Damon made his way to the girls he mentally sized them up. The one on the right was the taller of the two and wore her dark brown hair in a pixie cut. Her figure was feminine and Damon considered her fairly attractive, but the way her eyes ran their way along his body made him immediately despise the woman. He didn't need anyone else's affection and she sure as hell didn't need any distractions.

The girl on the left was much younger and Damon assumed she must have been turned around the age of 16 or 17. Her hair was an even darker shade of brown and cascaded down her back in heaps of luxurious curls. Her frame was much more petite compared to the woman on the right and the freckles on her face reminded him of Caroline. After making the comparison, he immediately realized he preferred this girl to the other. And besides, the look in her eyes signified that she viewed him only as her instructor and not as a sexual object. This made him approve of her even more.

Damon stopped about five feet in front of the girls and shot them his million dollar smirk before he asked, "Which one of you is Rose and which one is Anna."

The woman on the right took an eager step forward and answered, "I'm Rose."

Damon looked disdainfully at her feet before he questioned, "Did I ask you to step forward?"

The heat in his voice had the effect he was aiming for because the woman immediately stepped back into place and wore an intimidated expression.

He then focused his attention to the girl on the left and declared, "That must make you Anna."

The girl nodded her head and stated, "Yes sir. My mother and I just…"

But Damon cut her off by throwing his hand into the air. He then shook his head in frustration as he announced, "I don't give a shit about your backgrounds or where you came from. We're not here to get to know each other and we're definitely not here to become friends. The time we spend together will be focused on your training and then the only time you will see me after that is when we are out on missions."

Damon paused for a brief second to make sure the girls understood exactly what he was insisting. When they remained completely silent, he knew their attitudes had transitioned into what they needed to be, so he continued. "Your level of previous training means little to me because in more instances than not, you have been trained incorrectly. I am here to ensure you are taught the skills the right way so you don't get yourselves killed out in the field. In order to do this, I need you to be willing to learn. And more importantly, I need you to keep your mouths shut long enough to learn the basics. Are you ready to do that?"

Both girls nodded and the fear in their eyes was evident, which pleased Damon to no end. Fear was important because without it you didn't gain the respect you needed in order to succeed in this world. And fear was the main emotion that would keep these girls hanging on his every word.

Out of the corner of his eye, Damon saw Alaric enter the room with a shackled woman. The girl appeared to be only 20 years of age and, with her long chestnut hair and chocolate eyes, the resemblance to Elena was entirely too uncomfortable for Damon to witness.

He focused his attention on the girls and in an authoritative tone he stated, "Before I even begin your training, it's important for you to witness a death first hand. In this line of business, sympathy is a weakness and if you possess this emotion it _will_ get you killed. So in order to prepare you for it and ultimately see how difficult my job will be when it comes to ridding you of this emotion, I will demonstrate the very act you will be required to execute many times over."

Not waiting for their reactions, Damon turned and headed to Alaric while twirling the syringe in between his fingers. One he had reached his destination, he stabbed the needle into the girls upper arm as her retched screams filled the damp air. He ignored the painful cries as he pushed the liquid into her bloodstream and removed the syringe tossing it onto the dirt ground.

The girl's shrieks became deeper as her body began to morph into its natural state. Damon crossed to the opposite side of the training center as her screams ultimately became horrifying growls echoing against the stone walls of the underground room.

Once there, he looked back at the girls and added, "And ladies, I've been at this a _very_ long time so my attention will also be focused on your reactions. If I see one sign of remorse from either one of your faces I can guarantee you that training will be kicked up a notch."

As soon as he had finished his statement, he heard the thumps of the werewolf's pads as it charged in his direction. Anxious excitement made its way through his body as Damon swiftly removed his dagger from its place on his hip and tossed it between his hands. His right hand locked around the handle and he shot himself into the air as the wolf smashed into the stone wall beneath him. He landed on the upper back of the beast and was about to drive his dagger through the mass of fur covering its skull when he was bolted by an image of the girl it had previously been.

The momentary hesitation had been enough for the wolf to throw her body backwards as it landed heavily on top of Damon. The impact had been intense and the weight was excruciating, but the steel that covered Damon's skin was strong enough to withhold the weight.

The wolf rolled to its side and repositioned itself onto all fours as it let out a horrifyingly low snarl giving Damon enough time to gain his bearings. As Damon lifted himself to his feet, he mentally shouted at himself to get his shit together so he could finish the job. The girls could easily excuse one failed attempt without realizing it had been sympathy causing the hesitation, but there was no way in hell they would misread a second.

Damon tightened his hand around the dagger and charged the beast. It challenged his action by doing the same, but as the wolf lunged to make contact with his torso, Damon fell to his knees and slid under the massive body. He pushed back the human image that shot across his conscious and drove his dagger straight into the undercarriage of the beast. As they moved in opposite directions, Damon dragged the silver through the flesh of the animal leaving a slice along its entire stomach before ripping it out through its backside.

The sound of the beast's body as it made impact with the hard earth below was deafening and Damon fought back the wave of remorse he experienced from killing what was once an innocent girl. Still on the floor, he shook his head and rubbed his eye as guilt made its way through his system.

He had been doing this exact act for years and had never experienced this reaction before, but the frustration he currently felt towards his sudden moral dilemma needed to be redirected towards the girls that needed his expertise. It would be simple because while he was a master at killing these animals, he was even more familiar with channeling unwanted emotions into achieving his goals. And that was precisely what he intended to do today.

"Way to really show the new recruits your lack of sympathy. Don't worry, I've just seen you in action one too many times; I'm sure they didn't notice." Alaric said offering Damon his hand.

Damon didn't take the offer as he lifted himself from the ground and responded dismissively, "When I want your opinion I'll ask for it. Now get that thing out of here so I can start my lesson."

* * *

To Elena's surprise, she had actually found herself enjoying Caroline's company. The vampire had a bit of a temper, but after spending all day together, Caroline had lowered her resistant walls. It had become apparent that despite her earlier protests, the vampire had been desperately eager for female companionship. She just hadn't found one that she connected with the same way she did Elena.

They had spent quite a few hours in the slaves quarters where Elena was able to eat and bathe; both which had been incredibly comforting, but it had been their episode in the wardrobe room that had really resulted in Caroline's attitude change.

Caroline had given Elena free reign to pick out her own dress while she spoke with Lexi. After a few moments, Elena had found a dress of her liking but as her hand made contact with the sage green cotton of her choice it had been smacked away.

"Get your hands off of my dress."

Elena looked into the eyes of an angry woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. Her hair and make-up had already been perfectly prepared for the evening, but it did little to mask her rough exterior hiding below. It was obvious the woman was no stranger in using force to obtain what she wanted, but Elena had spotted the dress from across the room and now had no intention of surrendering.

She saw Caroline protective eyes reappear in the doorway, but waved her off and said, "I've got this."

Elena then refocused her attention on the woman and countered, "I think you're mistaken. I _will_ be wearing this dress tonight, so you can find something else. There's a whole room so I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding a replacement."

The woman took a defiant step to place herself directly in front of Elena as she threatened, "Remove your hand from that dress or I'll physically remove it myself."

In response, Elena slowly pushed her face forward and stated, "No."

The woman clasped her hand around Elena's throat only to have it instantly removed. Elena took the woman's arm in between her hands and threw her overtop of her own body before slamming it onto the stone ground below. The woman closed her eyes in pain as Caroline made her way over. The look in her eyes was pure impressive adoration as she slid her lips into an upward smile. She then grabbed the dress before taking Elena's hand and leading her out of the room.

The two now sat in Damon's bedroom chamber; Elena on the edge of the bed and Caroline sprawled out on the floor. They hadn't spoken a word to each other on their way back to the room, but Caroline was now the first to break the silence.

She looked up at Elena and asked, "Where did you learn moves like that?"

"A friend taught me the basics when I was younger." Elena knew it was vague, but it was the most honest answer she could give without involving Damon's name. She then added, "And being on the run for so many years has really given ample time to perfect those skills."

Caroline looked impressed, but attempted to hide it as she shrugged her shoulders and half-heartedly said, "Well, you're pretty good."

"Thanks." Elena actually found herself smiling at the comment. Unlike the compliment Caroline had given her earlier about her appearance, it appeared this one actually meant something to the vamp.

Elena found herself suddenly interested in Caroline's background. While she now understood that skill was important to the vampire, she wanted to know why. And more importantly, she wanted to know why Damon approved of Caroline since it was, evidently, such a rare occurrence nowadays. "How do you know Damon?"

Caroline rolled to her side and taunted, "So you want to know more about Damon, do you?"

Elena shook her head back and forth dismissively as she corrected, "I just want to know more about you, that's all. It seems he's a big part of your life, so I figured I'd start there."

This seemed to displease Caroline a bit because she rolled over onto her backside and looked up at the ceiling. She did; however, respond to the question. "We're on the same team, but it looks like that won't last for much longer."

Elena wanted to ask her new friend to clarify her last statement, but figured it best not to for the sake of getting to more important questions. "How long have you two worked together?"

Caroline kept her attention on the ceiling as she answered, "Four years."

"Why did you decide to join?" Elena asked.

This seemed to have sparked a little interest from Caroline because she rolled over to look Elena directly in the eyes. There was heat behind her expression as she stated, "Well, that bitch Katherine you had the pleasure of meeting yesterday… she killed my mother and turned me. I still have no idea why she didn't kill me as well or at least bring me back here as a slave, but it doesn't matter."

Elena watched as the vamp's eyes glazed over signifying her relapse down memory lane, but to her relief, Caroline continued to verbalize that memory out loud. "When I had finally adjusted to this life I made an agreement with myself that I would kill Katherine for what she did. The only way to do that was to train, and train with the best. I'm sure you can guess who the best is…"

"Damon," Elena found herself responding appropriately. She wanted to ask Caroline why Katherine was still alive despite her intentions, but found the opening for the question she had been waiting a full day to ask. "Why did Damon join the legion?"

Caroline's eyes seemed to glisten in excitement as she listened to Elena's question. "I knew this was about Damon."

Elena knew there was no way she could possibly refute the truth in Caroline's assessment, so she decided not to. "Fine, you caught me. But honestly, it's nice to get to know you too. It's nice to have a girlfriend after not having one for so long."

Caroline flashed from the floor to sit directly beside Elena. Her eyes nervously shifted to the door and then back to Elena's as she said, "I'll tell you but only because there's something about you I find genuine. That's a hard trait to find in people nowadays and I want to reward you for it, but you have to promise me you won't speak about it."

Elena nodded her head in agreement in fear that a verbal confirmation of her loyalty would have revealed the lie behind it.

Accepting her promise, Caroline confessed, "Damon was brought here because of his defiance against the legion."

"Defiance?" Elena asked, desperate for some elaboration.

Caroline's eyes once again shifted to the door before she explained, "Damon refused to surrender his slaves at the start of the war. Evidently he tipped them off and set them free before the soldiers arrived. Of course the act couldn't go unpunished, so they forced him to join the legion. He started at the bottom, but quickly moved his way up the chain of command and now look at where he is."

The vampire then brought her face besides Elena as she whispered into her ear, "Just between you and me, this was one of the reasons I befriended Damon in the first place. He tries so hard to appear detached from the world, but that single act of compassion was enough to prove he's not."

Caroline then brought her face back and a seriousness made its way into her expression as she added, "Of course, he's ignorant to the fact that I know this information and he'd keel over in embarrassment if he did. So I've just kept it a secret, until now. I'm trusting you with this because Damon see's the exact same thing in you as I do. Don't let him down."

The slight threat lingering in the air held no weight to the information Caroline had just revealed. Elena wanted to form a response to Caroline's confession, but she was having difficulty piecing words together. The revelation that Damon had not chosen to join the legion, but was instead forced to because of a decision he made regarding her life sent Elena's mind shooting in a million different directions.

Damon's life, everything he had become, Stefan's fate; they were all a result of her survival. If she had just died when she was supposed to then Stefan would still be alive and Damon would have never been forced into the role he played now. Everything that had happened was her fought and now she was back again forcing Damon to make the exact same decision between her and his species. What were the chances of this happening? How was it possible that she was once again forcing Damon to risk his life for hers?

The trust she once possessed in fate now seemed like a curse as the realization of what she had to do settled into place. She had to hand herself over and she was going to do it now. Damon would no longer suffer for her sake and it was time she made that decision for him. But as she lifted herself from the bed committed to her next actions, the door slid open as Damon entered the room.

* * *

Damon had kept the new recruits much longer than he had originally anticipated. Rose had been an utter disappointment from the start and only succeeded in furthering Damon's displeasure throughout the session. He had brought his immune Trevor in for assistance and when Rose wasn't preoccupied with gazing longingly at Damon himself, her attention was directed towards Trevor. The woman was the furthest from focused and he had no idea how he was going to get her ready for actual combat.

But it was Anna who had frustrated him the most. She had far surpassed all of his basic expectations and although it was unusual for a new recruit to take on an actual werewolf during their first session, Damon had decided she was ready for the test. She had struggled a bit in the beginning, but had ultimately succeeded in bringing down the beast.

Damon knew he should have been impressed, but her ease to kill had only internally magnified his inability to do so. And although Ric had retrieved a male this time for the task, Damon's heart still stung when he saw the beast fall lifelessly against the floor. He knew this change in disposition was a result of Elena re-entering his life, he knew it with every ounce of his being, and yet he was still anxious to see her again.

He wasn't sure how it was possible to hate someone and care about them as much as he did Elena. There were so many emotions coursing through his system and they were all entirely too meshed together to really get a handle on what he ultimately wanted to do. He wanted her out of his life so he could still keep some part of himself in-tact, but on the other hand the idea of losing her sent an unbearable pain straight to his chest. And at this point, Damon wasn't even sure if letting Elena go would really allow him the full control of his own reigns he once previously held with ease.

Things were changing; _he_ was changing. And it was this thought that frustrated him the most.

Damon slid the door of his chamber open and immediately regretted the action. He was in no mood to be civil, but it appeared that Caroline was more than eager to strike up conversation. She flashed to his side before she whispered into his ear, "I approve of her."

Damon rubbed his eyes trying to ease the tension that was building behind them and deadpanned, "That's great, Caroline."

She noticed his irritated state because instead of furthering their discussion she instead asked, "Do you want me to come by again tomorrow?"

Damon should have been thrilled that Caroline was so eager to babysit Elena for him again, but the notion only increased his frustration towards having the future wolf in his life. The girl was so swift at winning people over, the same thing she had achieved once again with him, and he despised her for it.

But he smartly chose not to voice his opinions out loud and instead just replied, "I would really like that. Same time as today."

The vampire nodded her head in agreement and he noticed her nervous glance towards Elena before she left the room, but couldn't care less. He had enough on his mind already than to worry about the gossip the two had shared between each other.

Damon wanted to relax on the bed, but had no desire to be that close to Elena at the moment, so instead he took a seat in the chair located in the corner of his room. He felt her eyes penetrating into him as he lifted his hand to cover his face and let out a relaxing sigh.

"Are you alright?"

Damon lowered his hand from his face to look at Elena and saw genuine concern in her eyes. He silently wished for the previous solitude of his room as he found himself answering honestly, "I had to train new recruits today and I hesitated before demonstrating how to kill a werewolf in front of them."

Elena cocked her head to the side as she assessed, "Maybe that's because you're not meant to be a killer."

Damon rolled his eyes. It was bad enough that he couldn't sit in silence, but now he had to deal with her opinions regarding his life. "Please stop pretending you know what or what I'm not meant to be. You knew me six years ago and things have changed."

She shot him a weak smile as she countered, "But I know who you used to be and in my experiences I've learned that its circumstances that change, not the people forced into them."

He lifted his hand in an attempt to rub the still building tension behind his eyes, but came up unsuccessful. With his hand still covering his face he announced in an annoyed voice, "Elena, I'm really just not in the mood to talk about this right now."

He heard the soft sigh come from the direction of his bed before Elena admitted in a weak voice, "There's sort of something I need to confess."

Damon let out a frustrated huff in the realization that Elena wasn't going to shut up until she removed whatever was on her chest. So he gave in and responded, "Fine. What's just eating away at you so badly that you can't hold off confessing for another twenty minutes?"

He heard the sound of Elena's nails as she began fiddling with her thumbs. The background noise rang loud and clear as she simply stated, "I know what you did."

Although she couldn't see it, Damon rolled his eyes at Elena's vague statement. "I've done a lot of things in my life, Elena. You're going to have to be more specific than that."

Silence consumed the room before she finally spoke up. "I know the choice you made six years ago regarding my families' survival and the consequences you faced because of it."

Damon finally removed his hand from his face to shoot Elena an unbelievable look as he nervously questioned, "How did you find out? Caroline doesn't even know."

Elena shrugged her shoulders as she declared, "It doesn't matter. What matters is that it happened."

Why did she have to find out and why did it have to be today? Didn't he have enough pain to deal with as it was? His heart had already been ripped from his chest six years ago and her face had haunted him every day.

He still remembered the smell of the grass he placed in between her fingers, the look of the slave cottage after they had ransacked their belongings, the sound of their feet as they darted into the forest. Every fucking detail of that memory was branded into the center most portion of his mind and he had dealt with that by roughly patching his tattered heart back together through the years.

Then she had crashed back into his world forcing him to relive the memory he had so miserably failed at burying. And even worse, her sudden reappearance had proven that the memory meant nothing. The tragic results of Stefan's life, her families' life, _her_ life had meant nothing! And now she was asking him to face it directly.

All of that added to the transition that seemed to be taking over his emotional state ignited a fury within Damon he wasn't even aware he was capable of producing.

He flashed to hover inches in front of her face as he screamed, "Well at least now you understand why I am the way I am!"

His anger didn't seem to startle her in the least. He knew he should have figured that her knowledge of how well he handled emotions would have prepared her for this inevitable reaction, but he hadn't spent the time predicting her response, only his.

Elena held up a strong front as she countered, "Now _that…_ I don't understand. You were forced to join the legion, but it's no excuse for why you've shut down the way you have."

Before he realized what he was doing, the truth came spilling from his lips. "I've shut down Elena because for the past six years I have had to handle the chance that my attempt at saving your life had failed. On top of that, I had to handle the truth that my choice resulted in killing Stefan." He then inched his face as close to hers as he could without making contact as he accentuated each word, "I had no one left."

He then realized how close he had gotten and took a few steps back before continuing, "The only way I survived was by shutting down and redirecting the agony towards killing my opponents. It was the only means of making that pain go away. And the idea of allowing others in the same way I had with you and my brother seemed unfathomable because I couldn't go through it again. I couldn't lose anyone else."

Elena's face was unreadable as she lowered her head and declared, "I think that's a sorry excuse. I've lost everyone I've ever loved because of someone like you. They were hunted down and killed for no reason and you don't see me shutting down." She then sighed before she announced, "I'm sorry but I'm turning myself in, Damon."

Damon latched onto her shoulder and forced her face upwards as he ordered, "You will do no such thing."

Her tortured eyes had begun to fill with moisture as she stated, "You've sacrificed enough already! Just look at what it's done to you. You don't have to be the martyr anymore and it's not your job to protect me."

Damon released the tension from his face and softly asked, "And what makes you think that sacrificing yourself is saving me from that same pain?"

Elena looked at him with revealing eyes that displayed she had lost all hope. "I don't know what else to do here. This is the only move I've got."

Damon placed his hand on the side of her face and knew it was time to come clean. It was time to let everything go. "Up until yesterday I was content in the disarrayed state I had placed myself back into over the years. Then you collided back into my life and forced everything back onto the surface. It's been unbearable, but necessary because I've had to relive that choice I made every day and seeing you yesterday only confirmed that if I had the opportunity to make it again, I would still choose saving you."

Pain mixed in with disbelief as it spread across Elena's face and she questioned, "And why would you do that, even after you know how it all plays out?

Damon's eyes followed the motion of his hand as it lifted upwards and swept down the side of her hair. He then penetrated his eyes into hers as he admitted, "Because knowing for certain that I had lost you forever would have caused me irrevocable damage. Uncertainty was the only hope I had."

He paused a moment and debated his next words. There was no going back after they were said and he knew the weight they possessed, but he gave in. She deserved to know the truth. "I can't lose you Elena; you're everything. It's in an entirely different way now, but you've _always_ been everything."

To his surprise, Elena lifted herself from the bed causing his hand to slip from her skin. Her expression fully revealed how pleased she was with herself as she suggested, "I don't have to turn myself in and you don't have to stay here. You can come with me when I escape. We can be together."

Damon wasn't sure what he had been expecting. Maybe a similar confession from her, but nothing along the lines of that. Her idea was absurd. Damon shook his head back and forth as he chastised, "Don't be ridiculous. My entire life is here."

A frown pulled at the sides of Elena's lips before she regained her steam. She lowered herself into a crouch in front of him and placed her hands on the sides of his cheeks. There was the faint pull of a smile as she argued, "From what you just admitted, I'm your entire life and I can't stay here."

"Elena, there is no way I could leave without them coming after me." Damon knew her statement had been the truth, but he couldn't put her in that degree of danger. It would defeat the entire purpose of her escaping in the first place.

Still, Elena didn't back down. With her hands still clinging to the side of his face, she lifted herself from the ground and placed her forehead against his as she pleaded, "Then we'll run. I've done it practically my entire life." Her voice was barely a whisper as she slowly begged, "Please, I need you!"

As the words spilled from her mouth, Damon realized how much he had been longing to hear them. He wanted to run away with her, but acting on his desire would only throw her further into the line of danger and he wouldn't be able to live with himself. The look in Elena's chocolate eyes revealed a determination previously unmatched by any other and Damon knew that after his confession she wouldn't leave without him by her side.

He felt moisture develop in the corners of his eyes and blinked it back as he focused them onto Elena's. She stared back at him as he felt his pupils begin to dilate. "You're going to forget this conversation ever happened. You'll remember me getting angry after you brought up six years ago. I was an asshole and told you I wouldn't make the same decision if given the opportunity. You're going to lie down on the bed and refuse to talk to me for the rest of the night before you drift peacefully into sleep."

Damon then painfully pulled his eyes from hers and watched the fury consume her face. He watched as Elena let out an irritated huff before she took her spot on the left side of the bed and clamped her eyes shut blocking him out.

* * *

_**Please Read and Review. :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

**I know I am torturing you guys by keeping Damon fighting against what he wants, but in my mind this seems the most believable. Despite what he feels, he believes he's making the right choice for Elena by remaining strong. Things will start to change quickly, but I need you guys to stick with me for a little bit longer while Damon figures everything out on his own. Because y****ou see, this story isn't just about Damon and Elena's connection. That's a big part of it, but it also centers around Damon's realization of who he really is; similar to what he is dealing with in the show. Thanks for being so patient with me so far, your support has really been incredible!**

**Some of you are concerned with the possibility of a happy ever after. I'm still not sure how this is going to end up, but the possibility is there. Once Elena transitions into a werewolf, she becomes immortal just like Damon. So forever is definitely a possibility.**

**Alright, about this chapter… I wanted to include a lot more this time, but Demetra just wouldn't stop talking. You'll see that the larger portion of this chapter is Damon's conversation with the witch and after reviewing it, I didn't want to cut a thing. What she says was just too important; so hopefully you don't mind.**

**And that's it from me.**_** Please Enjoy!**_

* * *

Damon awoke to the loud thumps on his door. He reluctantly parted his lids and felt the stiffness of his limbs from the lack of blood in his system. His throat was scolding, the tension behind his eyes was almost unbearable and it felt like all of his strength had seeped out through the cracks in his skin. And on top of the physical fatigue, he felt the weight of last night's decision pressing against his chest.

He hadn't been able to sleep until the wee hours of the morning. He had given it a good attempt, but the vision of Elena sleeping peacefully next to him had made it entirely too difficult. He had thrown her a heavy blow last night and although he understood it was necessary in order to keep her safe, the disdain in her expression afterwards had felt like a knife had somehow been driven into all four chambers of his heart.

After seeing his effects, Damon had wanted to revoke his compulsion. He didn't understand why it was necessary that they both had to hurt in order to secure her survival. They could very possibly he happy and be happy _together_. His desperation for that notion of happiness almost forced him to take back his selfless act.

But then he realized why he had executed the act in the first place and understanding sloshed uncomfortably against the lining of his stomach. Elena wasn't his to keep; and he wasn't hers to take. They were meant to live their lives separately, but at least he could ensure that she would continue breathing. He might have hurt her, but this way she had the chance to move on. The hatred she held for him would eventually disappear and she'd forget all about their little interaction in the city of Tyrus. She'd find someone else and she'd live the free and easy life she was always meant to. Meanwhile, he'd feebly bury the memory alongside the other for it to replay in his head day and in and day out.

The bangs on the door echoed through the room again and Damon let out a disapproving groan. Elena rustled next to him before rolling over and scolding him to open the door. He flinched a little at the edged hatred in her voice before lifting himself from the bed. In his weakened state, he didn't have the strength to move at super speed and felt entirely too human as he strained to open the door.

A hand reached inside and offered it's assistance as the door slid aside and Elijah emerged. His previously relaxed expression transitioned into one of startled concern as he commented, "You're looking a little rough on the eyes this morning."

Damon let out a low chuckle imaging how horrible he must have appeared on the outside considering how retched he felt on the inside. "Thanks for the compliment sir, but might I ask why you've paid me this visit?"

A cunning grin lifted the corners of Elijah's lips upward as he answered, "I just wanted to make sure you still planned on visiting Demetra today."

This question baffled Damon and he wasn't sure he bought the excuse. Still, he willingly played into Elijah's question as he countered, "Is there a reason I wouldn't?"

Elijah laughed as he admitted, "Of course not. I actually stopped by to see this new human you've been caging in your room. The entire castle is talking about her."

Damon narrowed his eyes and stated, "New slaves have never gained this much attention before."

Elijah noticed the slight question in his statement because he responded, "No slave has ever captured _your_ attention before."

It suddenly became clear. Elijah's visit was a result of pure curiosity. Damon understood Elijah's motives entirely too well, so as the vampire took the few steps into the room and closer to Elena, Damon felt his fingers curl inward and tighten into fists. Elijah was here to see what made Elena special and since he was higher in command than Damon himself, nothing could be done if he decided he wanted the girl for himself.

Elena's eyes widened as Elijah settled by her side of the bed. She lifted herself into a sitting position, but clenched her fist around the top of the comforter pulling it up and over her chest. Not wanting to keep too much distance between himself and Elena in Elijah's company, Damon quickly sat down next to her on the bed.

Damon watched as Elijah's eyes glistened over in wonder. The superior vampire's hand stretched out as he ran the back of his fingers down Elena's flushed cheeks. Elijah then brought his face beside hers and inhaled slowly taking in her scent. Damon heard her heartbeat quicken and the sound of her faltering breaths as Elijah's ice cold skin made contact with hers. And before Damon could stop himself, his sight transitioned into red. His hand reached out and latched onto Elijah's arm forcing it to pull back.

He felt the black veins streak from his eyes and his fangs elongate as a low growl escaped from within. Damon knew it was foolish to behavior territorial in front of his superior especially since this girl wasn't even his to claim, but he couldn't help himself. The look in Elijah's eyes, the sense of Elena's fear – they both interlocked and forced him to realize that although this girl wasn't his, she sure as hell wasn't allowed to be anyone else's.

Instead of the wrath Damon had been expecting to receive, Elijah's eyes closed as a booming laugh filled the room. The vampire rubbed the inner corners of his eyes as his laughing subsided. "She's definitely something, Damon."

Damon shot Elijah a heated expression as he asked, "Should I be reading something into that?"

Elijah rolled his eyes at Damon's behavior and lifted his hand into the air. "Relax yourself, it's obvious she's your slave and I wouldn't take her from you. I just wanted to observe for myself."

He then made his way for the door before he turned around and stated, "Demetra is waiting." There was an undertone of a threat as he added, "And Damon, I expect you _will_ be successful. We wouldn't want certain circumstances to change now would we?"

Damon narrowed his eyes understanding exactly what Elijah was implying. "No we wouldn't."

* * *

Elena sat motionless as she watched the vampire leave the room. Damon took a seat in the chair and raised his hand to cover his face the same way he had last night. His body formed the same shape it had right before she had confronted him about their past and, remembering his reactions; she felt her heart falter at the memory.

He had been so brutally honest about his regret that she had felt no remaining will to speak to him last night. But when she awoke and saw his face some of her hatred towards him had dissipated. And instead it had reverted back onto herself for still caring about him the way she did.

Damon had made it perfectly clear that, despite what she initially thought, he did not share the same over-whelming life-altering affection she did. But the jealous display he just acted out completely countered everything he admitted last night. Nothing made sense and the pieces didn't fit.

The frustration boiling under Elena's surface became too powerful to contain. With a scolding expression she asked, "What was that all about?"

Damon flopped his hand onto his legs and released an irritated sigh as he questioned, "What was what about?"

She threw her arms up in the air to release some of the tension surging from within and screamed, "That scene you just played out. You made it perfectly clear how little I actually mean to you last night and yet you still feel the need to protect me. I just don't understand what's going on in your head."

Damon lifted his hand to once again act as a resting place as well as a shield. His voice was barely above a whisper as he muttered, "You and me both."

Elena felt like she was talking to a brick wall. Damon was so on and off it honestly felt like whiplash. One minute he was completely open and the next he was shrugging off her every statement. Her head felt like it was spinning out of control and she just needed to get a handle on everything. She needed to understand.

She threw off the covers that were previously acting as her security blanket and stormed towards him. She smacked Damon's arm causing his hand to fall against the chair as she took his chin in the palm of her hand.

"I don't believe for a second that what you told me last night was the truth." She had no proof that her statement was correct, but somehow she knew it was.

Damon's eyes narrowed as they became slits on his face. His voice was threatening as he ordered, "Get your hand off of me."

The strength of wanting the truth pushed Elena's face forward as she opposed, "No way in hell. Not without an honest answer."

Elena felt the wind rush through her hair as Damon forced her from the spot they previously were and onto the bed. His body crushed against hers and his hand was clenched around her throat. His face hovered inches above hers, but behind the fury radiating from his electric blue eyes, rays of lust were shining through. Everything about his body language was proving Elena's assumptions were still correct.

Noticing these things, Elena felt her lips lift into a satisfied smile as she smugly stated, "I don't even need you to admit it. It's written all over you face. You want this just as badly as I do."

Damon's hand tightened around her throat as he stared back into her eyes. His expression still hadn't changed when Caroline's embarrassed voice filled the air. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Damon roughly threw Elena's head against the bed before he released his hold on her neck. He stepped off the bed and made eye contact with no-one and his voice was completely void of emotion as he stated, "You didn't interrupt a thing."

Caroline's eyes became wide as she visually took in Damon's physical appearance. There was judgment in her voice as she blurted out, "You look like shit."

Damon rolled his eyes before he responded, "Yeah, so I've been told."

Elena realized that the female vamp knew Damon enough to end the conversation at that. She had managed to piss him off and flames were practically ablaze across the top layers of his skin. Caroline had just unfortunately managed to step in at the wrong time and hopefully she wouldn't have to pay any consequences for it.

To Elena's relief, Damon said nothing else to Caroline before he left the room. But to her dismay, he had also left without adding anything to their conversation either. This irked her incredibly, but she knew he'd come back at the end of the day. And she had every intention of ripping that truth; he seemed to be withholding, straight out of him.

After Damon's departure, Caroline wrinkled her nose at Elena and quipped, "He sure was a delight this morning. What the hell did you do to him?"

Elena closed her eyes and shook her head as she muttered, "I don't want to talk about it."

The vamp closed her eyes and laughed. There was an understanding in her voice as Caroline assumed, "Oh, you got the pleasure of experiencing _that_ side of Damon."

Caroline then lifted up two swords, previously unseen by Elena due to her preoccupation on observing Damon. An excited grin spread across the vamp's mouth as she playfully suggested, "I've got something that will help you get out some of that anger."

Elena narrowed her eyes at the vampire's suggestion and refuted, "There is no way I am getting into a sword fight with a vampire."

"C'mon, Elena. I promise to take it easy on you and this is a great way to get out all of that pent up frustration." She then pushed out her lips into a pout as she pleaded, "Plus, I really want to see what other skills you've got hiding in you."

Elena shook her head and let out a low laugh. The idea _was_ tempting and it was the most physical activity she had been offered since arriving in this vampire infested city. With a roll of her eyes she surrendered and said, "Give me a damn sword."

* * *

Once again, Damon found himself fuming on the inside. He headed in the direction of the dungeon as his heavy stomps echoed throughout the stone corridor. He had been so certain that his compulsion on Elena would have resulted in her hatred towards him, but she was so fucking stubborn that even after the act she still knew it was a lie.

He'd been having a difficult time resisting her as it was without her pressuring him for the truth. And the fact that she read his every move thoroughly pissed the hell out of him. He was fighting the torturous urges to give into his desires for her own safety, but how the hell was he supposed to keep it up with Elena constantly pushing him to surrender?

She was always encroaching into his personal space and penetrating into him with those doe eyes of hers. He felt cracked completely down the center and knew his strength was fading quickly. If she continued her efforts this way he wasn't sure how much longer he could last. And besides, he was fucking starving, which only made his strength that much weaker. He was a ticking time bomb and his fuse was almost at its end.

Damon let out an irritated snort as he turned the corner and found himself inside the dungeon. He had been so consumed in his own thoughts that he hadn't realized how far he'd traveled. Inside the dungeon, the guard must have been expecting him because he motioned for Damon to follow him down the side corridor.

The smell of mildew from the cold damp air stung the edges of Damon's nostrils as he followed the guard to the very end of the corridor. The guard unlocked the last wooden door on the left and motioned his arm in the entryway insisting that Damon continue through.

As soon as Damon had stepped foot inside of the cellar the door had been shut and relocked behind him. He briefly glanced back at the door before searching the room for its inmate. A faint humming sound directed his eyes to the back right corner as an elderly woman came into focus.

He rolled his eyes and realized he was in no state to accomplish what he had been sent here to do, but he had to push his issues aside and face the task at hand. He was here to forward the witch's progress in that ridiculous spell and he had every intention of doing just that. Because now it wasn't just a meaningless task; Elena's fate held in the balance. If he failed, Elijah would waste no time stripping Elena from Damon's side and at least if he succeeded in this, she'd be free of these walls before anything affected her.

The humming continued as Damon stepped forward closer to the woman. She was crouched in the corner and rolled two stones in between her fingers. Her head rocked gently back and forth to the rhythm of her humming and Damon couldn't help but consider the fact that she appeared almost insane. He shook his head back and forth realizing what he had gotten himself into when Demetra's humming abruptly stopped.

"Poor noble, Damon. How does it feel to lose everything in order to gain so little?"

Damon stared at the woman who had stopped rolling the rocks in between her fingers. He had no fucking idea what she was referring to, but he was about to ask when her face twisted upwards. All idea of his previous question vanished as he took in the sight of the elderly woman.

In the dark room her crescent eyes illuminated with the fiercest color of ochre. Her skin was the deep black of a starless night sky and her features almost reflected those of a feline's. As Damon took in the image, a shiver shot upwards through his spine as he realized just how unsettled it made his insides feel.

Demetra smiled revealing a jagged and discolored set of teeth. Her voice was fragile, but possessed a slightly mystical tone as she mused, "I find this appearance better reflects my surroundings than my natural self. Would you disagree?"

Damon, who had never seen the woman in her traditional appearance, was still dealing with the perplexity of conversing with a woman that looked the way she did. But as her last statement registered in his brain, he found himself utterly baffled. "You changed your appearance?"

The witch set the two rocks beside her and onto the ground before looking back at his dumbfounded expression. "You don't think they chose me for this spell solely as a result of my actions do you?"

It didn't make sense. Damon knew all too well that witches powers were revoked once they entered into marriage to ensure their weakened state didn't act as a threat to their spouses. So it was impossible that Demetra still possessed the ability to do such a thing as changing her appearance. "I just don't understand. When you married Klaus most of your powers were revoked. How did you do it?"

Once again, instead of answering his question she countered with another one of her own. "How did you reckon I was going to be able to create a spell without gaining my powers back?"

Damon was entirely too confused and this only added to his earlier frustrations. If what she was implying was correct and she did in fact possess all of her original powers than how was she still stuck in the confinement of this cell? She could easily have gotten herself out.

And still playing on the idea that she had spoken the truth- why the hell had Elijah thrown him in here with an all-powerful witch? Where was the respect in that? Did he really mean so little to his superior that his life truly meant so little?

Damon had finally settled on the idea that the witch had to be lying. He had never seen her original physical appearance before so she was just trying to get a rise out of him. It was then that he noticed the feline eyes watching his every move almost as if listening to his inner monologue.

There was a hint of amusing satisfaction in Demetra's expression as she asked, "What bothers you more; your misunderstanding of how I am still trapped inside of here despite the fact that I have regained all of my powers or the idea that they sent you in here knowing full well I'm powerful enough to do whatever I please with you?"

Damon felt his jaw drop. If he hadn't known any better he would have assumed she had just heard his thoughts, but that was ludacris. There was no way in hell that was possible!

He was still attempting to get a handle on what was happening when Demetra spoke up again. There was an edge of smugness in her voice as she stated, "Well I can tackle both. Another witch placed a confining spell on the room trapping me inside. And you're just as disposable as anyone else. They don't care about you, Damon. We're all just a pawn in their path to victory. They'll only use you until your skill is no longer needed."

Ignoring her first response to address the more important one, Damon found himself lowering to the witch's level. There was determination in his eyes and his voice was slightly more elevated than he intended due to the little voice in his head suggesting the woman was correct. "Well of course you would say that. Your actions have already proven how little you respect your husband. But just because your life means little to them once you prove yourself ineffective doesn't mean that mine does."

Demetra amusingly chuckled to herself before she rolled her eyes. "It most certainly doesn't. And even if it did, do you really think their opinions of you will remain the same once they become informed of what's locked in your room?"

Damon's eyes shot wide open at the audacity that this witch somehow knew his innermost secrets and was now basically shouting them for the guard located outside of the room to hear.

He found himself hating the satisfied smirk that had permanently planted itself on Demetra's face. His anger towards her only seemed to increase her enjoyment though and Damon somehow knew this was because Demetra had him right where she intended for him to be.

She weakly lifted her arm into the air as a means to ease his building rage. "There's no need to be alarmed. I'm not here to threaten your secret and what you intend to do with her. I've placed an invisible barrier around the room so whatever you and I say to each other remains strictly between the two of us. I just wanted to inform you that I know more than you could ever comprehend, Damon. Every thought of every vampire in this city rings loud and clear in my thoughts."

Damon felt like his head was spinning. He was sent to this room in order to get this woman to follow through on her spell and now she was practically mind fucking him and removing precious bits of information that were supposed to be locked away and sealed tight from the rest of the world.

There was no denying the witch was powerful and very successfully deterring him from his goal, but he had to get a grip on what he came here to do. Seduce and conquer. It would be difficult considering how incredibly un-attracted he was to the woman, but his confidence was high enough to give it his best shot.

Demetra lifted her finger and shook it back and forth. A smile once again revealed her crooked teeth as she informed, "It won't be effective. Klaus killed the only object of my adoration."

She then lowered her eyes to the ground and assured, "You don't need to worry, Damon. The spell will be set in motion within the next couple of days. So there's no need for you to continue bothering yourself about it. There are more important issues you need to be worrying yourself with."

Heat was still scolding behind his eyes as they narrowed in her direction. "And what exactly are those issues?"

Demetra stared into the distance as her eyes transitioned into a bright yellow. There was weight in her voice as she announced, "Everything is about to change."

Damon rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated huff as he sarcastically responded, "Well that's extremely informative. Would you mind elaborating a bit?"

Demetra once again let out a weak laugh and Damon resisted every urge to reach out and strangle the witch. "I can't give you all of the answers; only guide you along the correct path. But just like the sun and the full moon on a cloudless day or night, everything will illuminate and become crystal clear."

_Well that was helpful._ Damon knew this woman held the knowledge of everything the future would bring and he was extremely frustrated she wasn't exactly giving him the right answers. But somehow he knew she was his saving grace. He had been brought to her for a reason.

"Why did you bring me here?" He just needed her to answer that specific question and maybe then everything would make sense.

This question seemed to please Demetra to no end. "You're catching on quite quickly. I brought you here because I take sympathy on your situation. Loving a werewolf never results in a positive outcome, but because I see inside to your true self I am inclined to offer my assistance."

Damon ignored the offer and instead found himself refuting, "I'm not in love with her."

Demetra's eyes ignited into a fiery red signifying exactly how much his denial had displeased her. "Are you honestly going to attempt to lie to me? I can see through everything Damon and straight into your innermost desires. I know your secrets and I understand them even better than you do."

She then released a breath of stale, damp air as her eyes transitioned into a faint glowing pink. Her voice returned to its previous mystical tone, but this time it almost sounded worn down like she had given up from her lack of progress. "I can't push you in the direction you decide to take. That choice remains solely up to you and either way results in its own set of consequences. However, please inform Elena that my niece will be looking for her on the outside so she won't be alone."

"Your niece? Wait, are you telling me that I'm going to succeed? Elena will survive?" The questions had come out extremely rushed, but for the first time since their conversation had started, Damon felt like he was receiving actual answers and they were the answers he had been desperately hoping to hear.

Demetra; however, did not share his same enthusiasm. Her brows furrowed in irritation as she accused, "You're asking the wrong questions, Damon."

Damon threw his hands up into the air feeling entirely too frustrated. This little game was becoming tiresome and he now had little energy remaining inside of him to continue playing. "Well then what questions am I supposed to be asking?"

The witch brought her hand to cover her mouth as a yawn escaped through her cracked lips. She appeared disinterested as she replied dismissively, "I've gotten rather tired all of a sudden so I think we're done here. You can inform Elijah and Klaus that the spell will be finished shortly." She then resumed her humming as her hand lowered to pick up the two rocks. She then began her swaying motion again signaling the end of their conversation.

Well Damon wasn't nearly finished yet. He latched his hand onto Demetra's shoulder desperate for more answers. Although the idea was silly, he went back and revoked his previous thoughts. Instead he filled his brain with the idea of cooperating fully in hopes that Demetra would understand his desperate plea.

The witch remained unresponsive and Damon felt his last bit of cooperation trickle from his system. He still had no idea what he was supposed to do and their brief conversation had created even more questions than he had when it started. He fell to his knees and stared at the side of her face with pleading eyes as he begged, "Please help me understand. What is going to happen? Will Elena survive? How is she supposed to find your niece?"

The witch ignored his pleading without interruption as she continued her humming.

Feeling the weight of defeat and helplessness, Damon stood into an upright position and there was heated sarcasm in his voice as he stared at the unresponsive witch. "You've been a solid help. Thank you so much."

He then walked to the door and banged his fist against the wood informing the guard that he was ready to be released.

"She's going to need the explosive bow and arrow."

Damon whipped around only to find Demetra still rocking back and forth to the tune of her own humming completely ignoring her last statement. And if he hadn't been 100% sure of his own psychological state, Damon would have second guessed the statement entirely.

The fact that the woman was only giving him tidbits of information instead of a full blown detailed guide made him infuriated. He didn't attempt to keep his voice down as he shouted, "What explosive bow and arrow? I have no fucking idea what you're talking about!"

As the door opened behind him, Damon kept his eyes focused on Demetra begging internally for an answer only to receive none. The guard pulled on Damon's arm in an attempt to force him out of the room as his eyes transfixed on the two marble stones still rolling between the witch's fingers; one black and one white. He narrowed his eyes and couldn't deny the feeling in his gut insisting him that these two rocks symbolized something.

A moment of realization swept over him as it suddenly became clear and the rocks seemed to illuminate in response between Demetra's fingers. They were linked to the spell, but why were there two? What did she have under her sleeve that would change everything?

Damon practically shouted these questions in his mind begging for Demetra to answer. He felt the guard's arm latch around his chest and throw him from the entryway of the cellar. As the door slammed shut locking him out, the last image Damon saw was the way Demetra's lips had lifted into a sinister smile in obvious pleasure of what she knew was coming.

* * *

_**Please Read and Review! :)**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Sorry if you left a review and I didn't get back to you. My life has been a little hectic and I didn't have the time this week. As always, thank you for your amazing support and I truly am sorry about it because I really appreciate all of your positive feedback each post_.**

**I have been listening to a certain song on repeat quite a bit while writing this story. I typically do not do this, but after switching up my tracks and getting nowhere with this chapter I decided to go back to it. And almost like magic, my creativity crept back in. So I had to show it some love and the proper acknowledgement it deserved.**

**The song "Polaris" by Jimmy Eat World can be held responsible for the tone so far in this story. The song as a whole doesn't exactly relate to what I've got going on here, but there is a particular line that has really influenced a lot of decisions I've made concerning the characters interactions with one another. And you'll see it at the end of the chapter.**

**I have to admit, this chapter almost made me throw in the towel on this story. That was how painstakingly torturous it was for me to get out. If it feels disconnected, that is because I had to write each section separately because my creative mind just didn't want to produce anything for me this time around. It seriously shut down! I didn't realize it was because I aborted my J.E.W. repeat session until yesterday and by then I just wanted to get past this post and onto my next one without any more wasted attention.**

**Also, this chapter did not end the way I wanted it to, but after trying to rewrite it three different times in order to move Damon and Elena in what I felt was the right direction, I just gave up. The characters obviously wanted this moment, so I ultimately threw in the white flag and let them have it. That means reworking the plot for at least the next chapter and I'm pretty uncertain with what I am going to do there, but hopefully you guys still like what I muster up.**

**_And now that I got that rant out of my system, please enjoy the crazy long chapter that literally had me pulling my hair out._**

* * *

Elena blocked another attack from Caroline with her sword and the loud clang vibrated against the stone walls surrounding them inside of Damon's room. They had been at this most of the day and surprisingly Caroline had been correct; Elena's frustrations with Damon were slowly dwindling with each and every one of her strikes.

They had decided to stop a few hours ago so that Elena could eat, bathe, and change but as soon as they had stepped foot back inside of the room Elena had wanted to resume their fighting. The sword fit perfectly into her hand and for the first time since arriving in the city, Elena had felt in control. She had never been an expert with swords, but her skill with other weapons played very nicely into how well she handled herself with the long sleek metal.

She swung the weapon through the air as it sliced along the outermost part of Caroline's upper arm. The vampire winced and paused for a second before her skin instantly repaired itself. Elena knew that Caroline was taking it easy on her for the mere fact that her skin was not nearly as indestructible as the vampire's, but it still felt nice to succeed at something; even if her victories were contrived.

Her attempts so far with Damon had been unsuccessful and she had found herself becoming more frustrated with him by the second. She knew that he was drawn to her because she could read him like a book. His eyes were constantly lingering on her lips or the more erotic portions of her body and he had been practically drooling with lust since the moment he first saw her again.

She understood that they were entirely different species and their world would become even more difficult if they just gave into the other, but she didn't care. She wanted Damon and as soon as they were alone again, she planned on telling him exactly how she felt. Elena knew that he would more than likely continue his misguided strong front against her, but there had to be something she could do to break through to him.

Elena blocked another one of Caroline's attacks as her back smashed against the wall. Realizing that she had been defeated, she lowered her sword to the ground and said, "Maybe it's time for a break anyway."

A satisfied grin revealed just how pleased Caroline was with her victory. She dropped her sword onto the ground before flashing to Damon's bed and sprawling herself on top of it. With a little smirk on her face she admitted, "You did pretty decent for a human."

Elena could fight the chuckle that escaped her lips. Of course Caroline would consider her skills decent; the vamp had no idea that she had been battling an up-and-coming werewolf.

She walked over and flopped herself on top of the bed next to Caroline feeling entirely more comfortable than she should have allowed herself to be in the presence of her enemy. She didn't know Caroline that well, but Elena understood why Damon had chosen her to be his sole friend. She was quick, confident, witty, lethal, and warm all at the same time. Caroline possessed that certain characteristic that made you want to spill all of your secrets because you felt like you could trust her and while this was the quality Elena found most redeeming about the vamp, she knew it was also the most dangerous.

She wanted someone to unload everything onto, but Caroline was not that someone. Although they had somehow managed to become friends, she was still a vampire and; therefore, still her enemy. Elena realized how hypocritical it was that she wanted Damon to ignore what she had just reminded herself, but she shrugged it off.

She rolled to face Caroline as she bluntly asked, "So why haven't you killed Katherine yet?"

Caroline scrunched up her nose in disgust at the sound of the wicked vamp's name and replied, "She is a horrible waste of space. I absolutely loathe that bitch."

Elena giggled at the all too human way the vampire had just reacted and repeated, "So why haven't you killed her yet?"

Caroline let out a huff as she buried her face in the comforter covering Damon's bed. Her voice was muffled but still distinguishable as she confessed, "Because I let my ties get in the way."

She lifted her face from the comforter and looked over at Elena as she explained, "I had every intention of killing her when I got here, but then I met Damon. He sort of took me under his wing and refined my skills when I was first starting out. I knew that with his expertise I would have no trouble killing Katherine, but then I became attached. I knew that if I killed the bitch then I would be sentenced to death as well and I couldn't leave Damon like that. You see, I needed his company as much as he needed mine."

Elena's jealousy must have reflected on her face because Caroline slapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Oh, Elena, that jealous scold does nothing for you. But rest assured; it's never been that way between us."

Elena released a sigh of relief. Caroline was superior to her in more ways than one and definitely a better match for Damon. There love would be easy and there was no way in hades Elena stood a chance against Caroline if the two were both fighting for Damon's affection.

Her jealousy transitioned into gratefulness that at least Damon had Caroline in his life. She was good for him and it made her heart swell knowing that he had someone watching his back. It was obvious the female genuinely cared about him, but it was refreshing still to hear it was strictly platonic.

The expression on Caroline's face had transitioned during Elena's inner monologue into one consumed with seriousness. "Damon puts up a strong front, but don't let him fool you. Behind all of that angst and pure determination is someone longing for companionship." A giddy smile then lit up her face before she declared, "That's why I'm so happy you showed up."

Elena couldn't fight the disgruntled expression that appeared on her face. She shook her head back and forth dismissively before she explained, "I don't think Damon is looking for companionship. He's made that all too clear since I've been here. He's done nothing but try and push me away."

Caroline rolled her eyes at Elena's confession. "I've known Damon a long time and I see the way he looks at you. There's worry and concern in his eyes and I'm not quite sure why that's present, but alongside that is desire. He wants you, Elena. You just need to give him time to accept it."

"Well time's running out pretty quickly." The words came out entirely too quickly for Elena to take them back.

Caroline stared at her with a quizzical expression as she asked, "What did you mean by that?"

Elena quickly scanned her brain for a reasonable response before she landed on the perfect one. She shrugged her shoulders for effect and answered, "Elijah came by this morning and threatened Damon. He was visiting some witch this morning and Elijah didn't exactly come out and say that he'd take me away if Damon failed, but it was certainly implied."

The vampire narrowed her eyes for a second and Elena held her breath anticipating more questions about the event that she wasn't able to offer, but fortunately Caroline relaxed her face and muttered, "Well that certainly explains his temper this morning." She then shrugged her shoulders and added, "I assumed it was because he was hungry."

Elena knit her brows and asked, "Hungry?"

Caroline shot her a disbelieving look as she quipped, "Yeah, he looked terrible. I'm really not sure why he isn't feeding on you, but he needs to soon." Her expression then became embarrassed as she apologized, "Sorry didn't mean to talk about you like you're just a meal."

Elena rolled her eyes and assured, "No, it's okay. I understand." Guilt had managed to seep its way into her blood stream as she listened to Caroline's rambling. She had been so preoccupied with her own motives that she had completely forgotten that he was a vampire in desperate need of a meal. She had seen his deteriorated physical state, but she hadn't taken the effort to put two and two together. And now she felt terrible for expecting so much from him without giving anything back in return.

It then clicked in Elena's mind and she had the move she needed in order to get Damon to surrender while also supplying him the blood he needed. She jumped from the bed and swiped up her sword. She waved it back and forth in the air as she suggested, "Time for round three?"

Caroline had swooped down and picked up her sword before Elena had time to blink. The vamp looked utterly ecstatic as she playfully threatened, "I'm not going to take it easy on you this time."

A cunning grin slid across Elena's lips because those were the exact words she had wanted to hear. She knew Caroline was lying to get a rise out of her, but Elena had every intention of maneuvering herself so that the hard metal of Caroline's blade somehow made contact with the soft layers of her skin.

* * *

Damon had reported to Elijah immediately after his mind-baffling discussion with Demetra. Originally, he had every intention of supplying the information he had received from the witch, but once he had gotten there his decision to do so had changed.

He couldn't overcome the hatred he now shared for the vamp who cared so little for his life. He knew they were never actually friends, but he had assumed that his success would have at least granted him some respect. Evidently he had been wrong.

Ultimately, Damon had decided that since he was receiving no respect that Elijah deserved the exact same in return. So when he had gotten to the office, Damon had only informed Elijah that the spell would be set into motion within the next few days. It wasn't exactly a lie since he had repeated Demetra's very words; he simply left out a few key elements of their discussion.

Then Damon had made his way down to the training center for another demonstration of how superior Anna's control over her emotions was to his. The girls had made no attempt at hiding their reactions to his physical appearance and this only managed to infuriate him more. He ended up taking out some of his frustration during their training, but not nearly enough to leave him feeling satisfied.

Now he weakly made his way back to his room and it was the first moment he had to really reflect on the morning's conversation.

_Everything is about to change._

The sentence swirled around Damon's mind along with about a thousand other things. He had no idea what he was supposed to do with that statement, but it kept meshing with the image of the two rocks Demetra had been rotating in her fingers. He had absolutely no proof that they connected with the spell Demetra intended to create, but somehow he knew it was true.

_Everything is about to change._

What the hell did that even mean? The only thing Damon could rationalize was that it had to deal with the spell. That single spell would somehow change everything and that led his thoughts to Elena the same way everything seemed to.

The sinister smile that had spread across Demetra's face signified that the changes she intended to wreak havoc on this place were not for the better. Things were going to get nasty so he needed to get Elena out as soon as possible. The longing to escape with his pre-transitioned werewolf vibrated stronger than ever within his chest, but then he remembered another one of Demetra's statements.

_That choice remains solely up to you and either way results in its own set of consequences._

Of course both resulted in consequences. He had become all too familiar with the consequences that choices held. His first had resulted in Stefan's death as well as the death of the vampire he used to be; the vampire that Elena was slowly forcing him to once again become. But this time, he knew exactly which consequence would be the result of choosing to run with Elena; her death. And this was simply a consequence he couldn't set into action.

This morning he had been faltering and entirely too close to surrendering to his desires. Elena would no doubt continue her attempts to push him towards this defeat, but now he had a newfound strength previously vacant. Despite the weakness he was currently experiencing from his lack of supplement, Damon knew what he had to do and in order to achieve it he had to keep fighting.

He had to keep resisting because now he knew for certain the terrible outcome if he chose otherwise. The idea of Elena's death sent a shiver up his spine and he shook the feeling out through his fingers. He mentally assured himself that he could hold strong. She was just a girl after all.

Damon took one last breath before he opened the door and was immediately hit by the overwhelmingly appealing scent of blood.

* * *

"Elena, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to actually get you." Caroline hovered over Elena with concerned panic written all over her face.

Elena winced as the pain of the slice in her shoulder sent an agonizing rift to the base of her stomach. As she took in a deep breathe to calm her frantically beating heart, she reminded herself that this was what she had wanted. She had been the one to slightly inch herself to the left and into Caroline's blade. Still, the reminder did little to ease the stinging sensation her shoulder was producing.

She saw the lines streak from Caroline's eyes as the vampire turned her face in the other direction to hide them from Elena. The vampire took a few deep breathes before she turned around and weakly suggested, "Maybe we should bandage you up to stop some of the bleeding."

Elena shook her head back and forth as she confessed, "I'm sorry, Caroline, but I can't. I feel terrible for not telling you sooner, but I knew you'd never agree to it. I positioned myself so that your sword would cut me."

Caroline narrowed her eyes and she almost appeared threatening as she questioned, "And why would you do something as stupid as that in the presence of a vampire?"

Elena weakly smiled in hopes that it would ease Caroline's fury and reasoned, "Because if you are having this much trouble resisting the temptation to feed on me you can only imagine how much more difficult it's going to be for Damon."

The vampire lifted her hands to cover her mouth as her laugh filled the room. An adoringly impressed expression spread over her face as she admitted, "I have to give it you; you're smart. But you really didn't need to go to this extreme. With how hungry I imagine Damon being, a simple prick of your finger would have done the trick. "

"Yeah, but I figured that if I was going to go through with this that I might as well do it right." Elena then stupidly shrugged her shoulders as another ache of pain shot across her right side.

Caroline winced as though she could feel Elena's pain and suggested, "Let's make you more comfortable."

She managed to maneuver Elena into a cradling position in her arms. They had gotten right to the edge of the bed when Damon slid open the door revealing a wide-eyed tortured expression. He weakly slid the door shut behind him before he screamed, "Caroline! What the hell did you do to her?"

Caroline gently placed Elena into a seated position on the bed before she spastically explained, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, but my sword accidently got her. We'd done alright all day, but I guess I let myself get a little carried away."

The fury that consumed Damon's face was terrifying. Elena watched as his fangs elongated and the black streaks slashed out from his black eyes. She had never seen him this infuriated before and she immediately felt guilty for involving Caroline in her plot to get Damon to fall.

To Elena's shock, Caroline didn't back down but instead took a bold step forward as her face took on the same terrifying state as Damon's. The two vampires stood inches from each other's faces in a show down for what felt like an eternity before Caroline finally relaxed her expression. The grey-blue of her natural eyes returned as she apologized again. "I'm really sorry, Damon. You know I would never hurt a human."

As Elena watched Damon's face return to its normal state, a sort of depression set over her body. She enjoyed Caroline's company, but she knew the truth. If Caroline ever found out exactly what she was, the vampire wouldn't hesitate before killing her instantly. The realization hurt, but then again, she _had_ known it all along.

Damon's eyes still emanated fire as he ordered, "Just get out, Caroline."

Caroline played the ashamed role perfectly as she lowered her gaze to the floor and weakly stated, "I'll be back to watch her tomorrow." She then let herself out.

Elena sat motionless on the bed. The confidence she once felt for her plan had dissipated and now she was unsure of her actions. Damon's entire body was trembling and it was clear to see that he was fighting the urge to rip into her bloodline and suck her dry. Elena immediately found herself petrified of that harsh reality, but pushed it aside as she realized who she was thinking about. Damon wouldn't hurt her, she trusted him more than enough to know that much.

His eyes were wide in hunger as Damon slowly walked the distance that separated them. Once reaching her side, he lifted his hand and gently brushed his fingertip over the wound on her shoulder and instead of the terrified trembling Elena had just experienced, she felt an anxious shiver spread across her body as a response to his delicate touch.

The goose bumps that spread across the top layer of her skin sent another painful sting to her right shoulder and Elena winced in response. This simple act of agony was enough to break Damon out of his trance and his eyes that had previously been transfixed on the blood trickling from her wound now made their way to Elena's face.

The stunning blue of his eyes was immediately shadowed in concern as he asked, "Are you alright?"

Elena managed a weak smile as she responded, "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt that much."

She heard the relieved sigh that escaped through his lips as Damon took a seat next to her on the bed. The torture of resisting the appealing scent of her blood was apparent on his face and Elena finally found the strength to continue her plan.

She turned to look at him and noticed that his fingers were twitching against the side of his leg. For a moment, she marveled him for the fact that he was remaining so strong at resisting her. She knew it had to be excruciatingly painful to be as hungry as he was and yet he was still resisting. His strength was incredible, but it was time to break him.

"Damon..." Elena simply stated as his eyes peered up to meet hers. There was so much hunger in them that Elena felt her fear once again creeping over her body, but she pushed it back and insisted, "You need to feed. My blood will only hurt you in werewolf form so there is no reason why you shouldn't use me."

She saw the momentary relief in his eyes, but it was immediately masked by determination as he refuted, "I'm not drinking from you."

Elena shook her head at his preposterous need to keep resisting. "You're being ridiculous. You look awful on the outside, so I'm sure you feel awful on the inside. And besides, you won't last much longer if you don't feed."

His voice was harshly cold as he dismissed her suggestion. "I'm not feeding from you. I'll find someone else."

Elena couldn't ignore the swell of rejection as it coursed through her veins. Damon had no problem drinking from someone else, so why was it such a big deal to drink from her? All of her previous confidence faded as she considered that maybe she had been incorrect; maybe he didn't care for her the way she cared for him. Still, she needed to know why.

Her lips pushed out into an involuntary pout showing just how hurt she was by his refusal as she asked, "Why don't you want to feed from me?"

Damon shook his head and there was heat in his voice as he refuted, "I'm dealing with enough as it is right now without you pushing me for answers. I'm not feeing from you and that's all you need to know."

She knew it was stupid to be pushing a vampire into feeding from her, but Elena was entirely too stubborn to accept defeat. When Damon's attention fell to the floor she ran her fingertips over her aching wound before she grabbed onto his face. "Damon, I…"

But that was all she needed to get out before the blood on her fingertips had the desired effect she had been aiming for. She saw his nostrils flair as he took in the sweet scent of her blood and before she knew it his eyes had locked onto the tips of her fingers. She felt the cool breath from his slightly parted lips as they inched closer to her flesh.

He hesitated a moment and Elena worried that Damon's strength might far exceed any weak attempt she shot him, but then he rotated his head to the side just slightly enough to take her thumb in his mouth. The act was so simple, but the effect it had on Elena's body was entirely too powerful for her to bear. Instead of the comforting warmth her body had been expecting from being inside of him, the tip of her thumb felt like it was fire. The contact his tongue made as it ran down the length of Elena's finger was so overwhelmingly cold that it literally felt like it was being held over a flame.

As Damon took her index finger into his mouth that fire grew, but it wasn't painful anymore. The simple motion of his tongue slowly moving down her finger released a longing from deep within her lower region and she couldn't fight the moan that escaped her lips.

At the sound of her in pleasure, Damon's eyes shot up to take in her face. The piercing blue of his eyes transitioned into black as they ran their way across her delicate features and his darkness only made her longing for him stronger.

Almost as if he could smell her lust for him, Damon removed her fingers from his mouth and ran the tip of his nose up her arm. To Elena's surprise, he had hovered over her wound for merely a second. He dragged the tip of his tongue through the warm blood covering the area before he continued up into the nook of her neck. She felt his fangs run lightly against her delicate and anticipating skin before she closed her eyes. She held her breathe as he finally punctured through her thinly fragile layers and straight into her carotid artery.

Elena had braced herself for the pain, but instead the slight prick had sent pleasure coursing through her entire body. She felt the gentle pull on her neck as he drank deeply from her wound and the incredible sensation shot all of the way through her fingertips. They were literally tingling as she buried them into Damon's dark hair and gripped onto the strands for support.

Another wave of pleasure surged through her body and Elena lowered herself onto the bed for the sake of not being able to hold herself in an upright position anymore. Damon followed with his fang still firmly fastened in the skin of her neck as he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and she realized that being held in his grasp was the most comforting feeling she had ever experienced.

As she felt his mouth press harsher against her skin almost as if attempting to burrow a way into her actual artery, his fingertips gripped stronger onto her back. The fabric of her dress slid against her sensitive skin and the contact only managed to fuel her arousal. She arched her body upward wanting every inch of it in contact with the feeding vampire before she laced her free arm around his back.

Damon sucked again pulling more liquid from her bloodstream as Elena's legs began to tremble and her toes curled inward. She had never experienced pleasure like this before and every bit of her was screaming for more until she finally felt herself crash over the edge.

Damon held onto her body with both his fangs and his arm as it released wave after wave of indescribable pleasure until it finally collapsed on the bed. Elena took in a few shallow breathes and was still regaining her bearings over what had happened when Damon finally released his hold on her neck.

She stared up at his satisfyingly grateful expression before she reached up and locked her lips onto his. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and forced her tongue into his more than obliging mouth and actually found herself enjoying the sweet metallic taste of her blood that still lingered inside.

Elena massaged her tongue against Damon's as his body pressed against hers on the bed. She was almost ashamed at how willingly her legs had parted to allow him contact against her most sensitive areas, but the overwhelming satisfaction it supplied was more than enough to vanquish her shame.

She released another moan into his mouth anticipating exactly where their interaction was heading when Damon's eyes shot open and he threw himself from the bed and against the wall.

* * *

Damon was literally trembling from head to toe. Elena's blood was still circulating throughout his system and his body was absorbing it, saturating it into very bit of him. He felt it pulsing through him almost as if his veins were pushing it through his bloodstream making him feeling entirely too alive; entirely too human.

He had drank from many humans in his lifetime, but none had offered him the sensation he was receiving from having Elena inside of him. For the first time in his existence he felt full, whole, and remarkably complete. He never wanted to lose this feeling; the feeling of Elena somehow mixing with everything his body had to offer in order to gain complete satisfaction.

And for a moment he hated their species and their wretched war. So much destruction, so many lives lost, so many restrictions; it was entirely tragic. He hated the werewolves for revolting and starting the movement that led to their feud, but he hated the vampires for provoking such an action in the first place.

But mostly he hated himself for so weakly giving in. He had known all along what drinking from someone had the possibility of resulting in; emotional connection, as if he didn't already feel it enough already. And that was why he had so feebly attempted to resist doing so. But now with her blood fueling him, Damon felt more attached to her than ever before. He wanted her more than anything, to take her and brand her as his and his alone, but it simply wasn't allowed.

_He wasn't hers to take and she wasn't his to keep._

There was nothing un-natural and nothing more perfect about the union that he and Elena had just shared, but because of events and the circumstances directing their lives, that was exactly what their connection was; imperfection and entirely not ideal.

It had taken all the strength Elena's blood had provided for Damon to remove himself from the intimate situation on his bed. Every inch of him had wanted nothing more than to continue what they had started, but he had already stepped over the boundary line he had established the moment he had decided to save Elena. Damon wanted to give her every piece of him the same way that she had just done for him, but the haunting reality of his choice and the consequences it possessed was too deeply etched in his mind to do so. As much as he wanted this, he couldn't be selfish with her; not her.

The shock and unsatisfaction that shadowed her once ethereal expression drove straight into him and made him feel unbearably selfish despite it being his sole reason for stopping… from pushing her away yet again.

There was incredible vulnerability in her shaky voice as she asked, "Why are you still doing this? I know you felt exactly what I just felt and yet you're still fighting. Why are you still resisting?" Her last statement had come out elevated and there was a pleaded edge to it. Her eyes expressed just how truly disappointed she was, but there was also something more; pain.

Damon knew he had only made the situation worse for both himself and Elena by feeding from her. He had known it the second he had pierced through her skin. He had felt all of her emotions as well as his own during the process and they had interlocked so perfectly that the memory would always keep him searching for a way to relive it; something he knew he would never be able to do. He'd never be able to recreate that moment.

It sent agony searing straight to his chest to see the pain on her face, knowing he was the one forcing it there. He wasn't sure how much more pain he could inflict on this girl by refusing what they both knew was destiny, but he attempted to push her limits even further.

He rolled his eyes and bluntly stated, "Because it's forbidden, Elena. You know that."

She wasted no time before she pointed out his hypocritical reason. "So is breaking me out of this hell-hole, and yet you're still going through with that."

Elena had always been smart, always so observant. When she was simply a child he had known this trait would either result in her success or her failure and he wasn't going to allow it to be both today. He moved back to stand directly in front of her and latched his hands onto each of her shoulder as he tried to get her to understand. "Please stop fighting me because I'm doing this for you."

She looked up at him with fire ablaze behind her chocolate orbs and dismissed his reasoning. "Don't you dare tell me you're doing this for me because I know what I want and that's you. If you're doing this for anyone, it's for yourself and the life you've established here."

Damon dropped his hands lifelessly from her shoulders and feebly reasoned, "I know you might not understand, but this _can't_ happen."

Elena threw her hands into the air and exasperated, "You're right, I don't understand! It's not accepted within the confines of the city walls; I get that." She then placed a hand on both sides of his face and suggested, "But you can come with me."

Damon felt completely helpless. They were practically recapping the exact same discussion that Elena didn't know they already had. He didn't know what else to say besides, "I can't come with you!"

She let her hands fall from his face in defeat. Elena let out a disgusted snort before she turned on him and accused, "Jesus, Damon, they have you so trapped it's unbelievable. You're completely brainwashed that you won't even accept the fact that you could be happy."

Damon looked to the floor, not wanting to face Elena's disdain for him directly. His voice was barely above a whisper as he informed, "We can't be happy; we can never be happy together."

Elena gripped onto his chin forcing him to look at her and heatedly questioned, "And why the hell not?"

He didn't want her to know the truth because it hurt too damn much to even consider the outcome if they chose each other over the lives they were meant to live. But he knew that brutal honesty was the only option now. It was the only play he had that would shine the light on their fates and make Elena aware of what she was offering up by asking him to leave with her.

He finally loaded his voice with the emotions he had been fighting so hard to keep contained as he confessed, "Because you'll die if I come with you."

She didn't understand the finality behind his words because she refuted, "You don't know that for certain! I understand you're nervous because they'll come after you, but we can run. They'll never catch us and I know it's not ideal, but it can work. It _has_ to work."

Damon huffed feeling helpless once again. He dwelled his eyes into hers as he tried to explain again, "It won't work, Elena. I've been told it won't."

"You've been told it won't? That doesn't even make sense." Her fire seemed to extinguish as she finally released her hold on his chin and paused for a moment. Her expression revealed that in that moment something clicked and she just needed it clarified. "What aren't you telling me?"

Damon let out a sigh of relief at finally breaking through. "The witch I visited this morning informed me that if I decided to leave with you then there would be consequences." For Elena's sake, he left out the part where he would also face consequences if he chose to let her go on her own. She didn't need to worry about his consequences and the results they would have on his own life.

Elena clearly wasn't buying it. She shot him a disbelieving look as she questioned, "And you automatically assumed that the consequence would be my life? That's ridiculous!"

Damon didn't understand how this girl possessed the power to be _this_ stubborn. His frustration was reaching its breaking point and he shouted, "It's the only consequence that makes any sense! But please fill me in if you have another one."

She shook her head from side to side and screamed back, "I think you're using it as an excuse to keep yourself from truly being happy!"

_Did she really believe that?_ Damon wanted nothing more than to throw down his armor and give in to what he wanted; what would make him unbelievably happy. Because it would result in her happiness, but he knew it from somewhere deep within that their fairy-tale romance would be short lived. Elena would die and he couldn't live with that. He needed her alive; this world needed her alive.

He was completely finished trying to get her to understand his reasoning, so instead he decided to leave her option out of the discussion. He latched onto her shoulder with a grip a bit tighter than he had wanted and stated, "Right now I don't care what you want or how stubborn you are going to continue to behave in order to get it because I'm not sealing your fate. You won't die because of a choice I make and you sure as hell won't die over a thing as minute as our attraction to one another."

Elena actually smiled at him; a smile that revealed exactly how moronic she considered his opinions. She shook her head back and forth dismissively before she finally penetrated into him with her doe eyes and accused, "I don't think you understand what's going on at all. We were thrown back together after six years for a reason. I always knew you were meant to be a part of my life and I can't fight what I feel for you. It's not minute; it's overpowering. You can give fighting this, us, your best fucking shot, but I can guarantee you that it won't go away. It will eat at you until eventually you realize exactly how idiotic you are being for believing some witch and letting me go once again."

Her response had stung incredibly although it was clear she hadn't meant it to. She was fighting for what she believed just as viciously as he was, but he still couldn't let her win. As much as he wanted to, he just couldn't.

He grabbed onto her flushed cheeks and held onto her with all that he had because if he was successful this could very possibly be the last time he got to touch them. Damon made sure to keep his tenderness shining through his eyes as he looked into hers and rationalized, "I'm letting you go to save your life so please just let me. Believe me, you'll get over this."

Their faces were so close that Damon saw the clear liquid forming in the corners of her eyes as she lifted her hand to cup the side of his face and quietly asked, "Will you?"

Damon noticed how the response had been both her answer as well as a question and he fully understood the truth behind what she was fighting so valiantly for. He would never get over Elena because he loved her; something Demetra had tried to get him to realize. The witch knew everything including what their future held and he realized how much easier it would have been if the witch had just come out and said exactly what would happen if he had chosen to leave with Elena. It would have made this so much easier if he knew with 100 percent certainty that their disappointing pain in letting the other go was because surviving together was absolutely not an option.

It was hard to imagine that he was giving this girl away; the very girl that had somehow managed to become his life-life, because of his belief in her demise as a result of his choice. But it was enough.

Damon wasn't sure how long they had desperately clung to each other accepting each other's defeat, but neither one actually coming out as victorious, before he finally pulled away. All of Elena's fire had extinguished and it has been replaced by so much sorrow in her eyes that he felt his non-beating heart shattering into a million tiny pieces. Tonight it was just too hard; the image was just too much to handle and he knew that if he didn't get away that he would give in to her. He'd accept defeat to make her happy if only for the moment and that would make losing each other that much more unbearable.

He needed to get away and he knew exactly the right place to go. Someplace where he could clear his head and come to terms with why he was causing himself and this girl irrevocable pain. Somewhere away from her hold where he could truly be free if just for a few hours. Somewhere he wished he could share with her but couldn't. Somewhere that under different circumstances they could have formed a life together and considered their home.

He was headed to the heart of the forest.

.

**You say that love goes anywhere. In your darkest time, it's just enough to know it's there. When you go I'll let you be, but your killing everything in me.**

.

* * *

_**Please Read and Review! :)**_


	8. Chapter 8

**I want to once again thank you all for remaining positive about this story when my chapters have done nothing but force on you the pain these two characters are going through. I seriously appreciate it and I've written this chapter to show you all I can come up with more than just depressed and tortured emotions.**

**The larger portion of this chapter is Damon's POV because a lot of things happen to him that really effect his decision-making process regarding Elena. But ****I don't want to spoil the chapter by revealing too much and I tend to leave too many authors notes as it is...** so I am simply going to leave it at that.

_**Please enjoy! :)**_

* * *

As soon as Damon stepped foot outside of the city walls, he had set off at a dead sprint into the forest. The movement felt incredible after being confined within the castle for the past few days. He'd been fully aware that his confinement was a result of his own doing; his own weakness at wanting to keep Elena longer, but now he remembered exactly everything he loved about this place.

The smells of the surrounding nature saturated the inside of his nostrils as he inhaled deeply; not because he needed to, but because he wanted to. The wind felt remarkable as it slipped its way through the dark locks of his hair and the light sounds of the trickling water and the wildlife soothed his saddened mind. This world was refreshing; this world was his escape.

Wanting to distance himself as far away as possible from the city and the girl that were causing him so much agony, Damon picked up his pace. He weaved in and out of the tress with remarkable ease and the way his feet pushed him from the earth, forcing him forward, offered the feeling of complete control. The same feeling that now seemed unfamiliar considering everything that had become of his life.

Damon honestly couldn't remember the last time he had truly lived for himself. Actually he could; it had been six years ago. Before this war, before killing had become a form of an art, before the death of his brother, and most importantly, before he had given up Elena.

The simple thought of her sent pain searing straight through his chest and he pushed himself harder, gaining even more speed in order to separate himself further from her. The trees were merely blips in his vision at this point. He forced the air in and out of his dead lungs in an attempt to gain that quickly fading sense of control he just held before thinking of Elena.

No matter how much distance he placed between himself and the girl of his affection; the very girl he couldn't bring himself to give into for the sake of securing the progression of her life, he still felt her. She still consumed him, pumping through every inch of his system making him feel alive. Her blood pulsated under the hard layers of his skin, reminding him that he'd never be able to recapture this feeling. He'd never be able to experience the feeling of her inside of him again.

Damon swept his head back and forth in disgust over the circumstances their lives had forced onto them before increasing his speed yet again; pushing himself to his limits. He expected his speed to break, realizing he had never moved at this velocity before, but it only increased with each forward push of his foot against the ground.

He was moving at such an incredible speed that the trees weren't even visible as he maneuvered past them, even with his enhanced eyesight. He widened his eyes at the realization that it was Elena's blood fueling him beyond his previous limits. It had to be because he felt it vibrating through every inch of his underlying surface, supplying a heat he had never experienced before.

Damon finally slowed his pace before coming to a complete stop in a small clearing. He lifted his hand to examine it and for the second time today he felt the human effects Elena's blood was offering his body. But as he traced his fingertip over the skin of his hand, he realized exactly how deceiving that warmth was. His skin was still as solid and resilient as ever.

To Damon's surprise, his jaw dropped slightly as he found himself disappointed by the deception. He had never noticed his lingering longing to once again be human until this moment, but the moment was short lived. He suddenly felt the presence of someone watching him and he carefully lifted his gaze to search the surrounding woods for the presence he just felt, but saw no one.

At this point and with his mind in the current state it was in, Damon didn't want company. He had come here to be alone, so he bolted from the spot he was and headed for a new direction.

He had been sprinting for a soundless three minutes before the pattering feet of another strummed in his ears. Damon once again pushed himself to the limits in order to escape the presence that was somehow stupid enough to be following him. He weaved through the lush growth of the forest; darting around trees, maneuvering past bushes, and heaving himself over rivers of gushing water, but still the stomps of the other remained.

Damon didn't want a fight. That wasn't why he came here, but whoever the hell had decided to follow him had a rude awakening coming if they continued. Damon pushed his feet from the mossy earth as he leapt over a fallen and decaying tree when an impact from the right caused his body to slam against the ground.

The lush fur swept across his face, blinding his eyesight, as the weight of the beast pushed the remainder of his body into the dirt. With Elena's blood fueling him, it took no time for Damon to grip onto his dagger and remove it from its location along his hipline. He heaved the werewolf into the air causing it to slam into the trunk of the nearest tree and roll onto the ground.

Damon didn't hesitate before he pounced on top of the wolf. As he lifted his dagger into the air ready to lodge it into the skull of his enemy, the wolf transitioned into his human state. The boy barely looked the age of eighteen as he stared up at Damon with panic stricken eyes. He lifted his dirt covered hands to cover his face as he pleaded, "I'm sorry, please don't kill me."

And like clockwork, his guilt crept back into his chest. With his dagger still lifted into the air, Damon could only stare at the boy. Of course his vampiric nature was practically begging him to drive the dagger straight into the chest of the faux human lying beneath him, but the trickling humanity still left within refused to let him.

The boy was so young, so innocent with his hands protectively covering his sweat-glistened face. His eyes were shut tight bracing for the kill shot Damon was prepared to give. And in that moment, everything suddenly became clear; he didn't want to kill. Of course he would always enjoy it. He was a vampire and it was in the very root of their nature to kill, but it didn't have to define him anymore. This boy had been foolish of course, but he didn't deserve the fate that Damon originally intended for him; none of the werewolves did.

So he lifted himself from the terrified boy, keeping his dagger gripped between his fingers in case the human decided to do something stupid, and ordered, "Leave. Now."

The boy tentatively raised himself from the ground and brushed the remaining dirt from his naked body. His brown eyes and hair resembled the color of wet mud as he whispered appreciatively, "Thank you."

A satisfied grin then slid across the boy's face as he pronounced, "Demetra made a wise choice." He then transformed again and disappeared into the undergrowth of the forest leaving behind a baffled Damon.

.

.

"Let me see Demetra!" Damon screamed as he entered the darkened room of the dungeon.

The guard quickly lifted himself from the chair and fumbled with the keys in his hand before they fell to the ground. They bounced a few times along the cobblestone floor before settling a mere foot from where Damon was standing. He bent down to pick them up and thrusted his hand towards the guard and ordered, "You do not come in."

The guard was actually trembling as he nodded his head and responded with a weak, "Of course, Mr. Salvatore."

Satisfied with that response, Damon quickly made his way to the last door on the left and unlocked it. He threw the wooden door open and it slammed against the wall filling the entire corridor with loud vibrations.

It wasn't hard to spot Demetra from the entryway of the cellar. She was in the exact same corner she had been during his last visit and the sound from the door did little to interrupt her trance. She was humming and rocking back and forth along to the melody in her head while rolling those damn rocks between her fingers.

Even in the darkness that had settled over the room due to the blackened night sky outside, the room was illuminated with a faint green color. Damon didn't need her shining eyes to visualize the room, but it still settled his nerves of being confined in a dark area with the woman, so he slammed the door shut behind him.

Demetra became silent and stopped her became swaying motion, but didn't look up to meet his eyes as she knowingly stated, "Someone apparently has a few concerns on their mind."

Damon stalked the distance between them and settled by her side as he heatedly questioned, "You picked me?"

The witch let out a wicked laugh before she assessed, "Well, it would appear that you have been out in the forest."

Figuring it best to level his tone, Damon lowered his voice and reasoned, "I just need some answers. Evidently you chose me for something, but I have no idea what that is. And then there's the more important question- why the hell would you choose me?"

The glow radiating from Demetra's eyes transitioned into a faint yellow as she responded, "Oh Damon, unfortunately it is not time for you to know the first answer just yet. And I picked you because, like I told you before, I take sympathy on your situation. Your past choices have shown me exactly who you are and I stand firmly behind my decision."

She then transferred the rocks between her hands and questioned, "Have you accepted the fact that you love her yet?"

Damon crossed his arms defensively as he spat back, "Why should I even answer that? You're inside of my head, so you already know."

Demetra released a soft chuckle as she agreed, "That's true. But eventually you're going to need to tell her." She lifted her hand and shook her index finger through the air as she added, "That will be very important."

Damon lowered himself to the ground desperately needing clarification and with a pleading edge to his voice he asked, "Important for what?"

The witch's voice was chipper as she bluntly answered, "Her choice of course."

Damon let out a huff in frustration before lifting himself into an upright position again. He hated feeling so disconnected during their conversations and in response he threw his hands into the air. Knowing full well that he wouldn't meet her vision, Damon didn't even waste the effort to look in the witch's direction. "That's great, another vague response. I have no idea why I even came down here in the first place. All I ever seem to get from you are more questions."

She shook her head back and forth as she mused, "So easily frustrated. But I can help you with this one. You came down here because you needed my reassurance that you're making the right choice."

He wasn't sure why he continued in this meaningless back and forth, but Damon couldn't help himself. "And am I?"

Demetra nodded her head as she responded, "You will."

He had already prepared himself for a pointless response and Damon's tone became slightly sarcastic as he quipped back, "As always, you were extremely helping in swaying me one way or the other."

Demetra slowly shook her head from side to side as she countered, "You don't need my assistance making your choice because you've already made the decision all on your own. You just don't know it yet."

He considered her response for a moment and fully absorbed what the witch was saying before realization settled over him. Damon's entire trip back had been an inner battle of accepting who he had become, or more accurately, who he always was over the vampire the legion needed him to be.

Ultimately, he had realized that he didn't hold a vendetta against the werewolves like almost all of his species did. The war that had consumed his life, giving him a reason to live and a meaning behind every single act he had executed, now seemed petty and completely unnecessary. And he no longer wanted to be a driving force behind a cause he didn't agree with. He didn't want to be a yielder of death anymore because he finally had something to live for; Elena.

He had been wavering so delicately along that line differentiating what he should do and what he wanted to do that his own selfishness had started to win. And of course the witch knew this.

There was only concern laced in his voice as Damon asked, "Then I choose to leave with her? How could I do that knowing she'll die as a result?"

Demetra's only response to his question was sinister laughter. Damon despised the way the witch seemed to always get so much enjoyment from his confusion and it took every ounce of his restraining will to keep from attacking her.

Finally her laughter subsided as she informed, "Not everything is black and white, Damon."

Damon despised the way Demetra was practically playing him, but mostly he hated the fact that she had refused to look at him. It was disrespectful and he deserved more, but her attention was always focused on the two rocks in her hand.

He threw his hands into the air as he heatedly asked, "Why is it so difficult for you to just come out with a straightforward answer? How can you not understand that this isn't a game; it's someone's life!"

All of Damon's pent up aggression surged past its breaking point as he reached down and slammed Demetra against the wall. "And why the hell are those rocks so damn important to you? How are they related to the spell and what are they going to do?"

Her body had only just made contact with the wall when Damon felt himself soaring through the air. His body smashed against the opposite side of the cellar and crumbled onto the ground.

Before he had time to regain his bearings, a red glow consumed the room and Demetra's voice reached a higher pitch than Damon had ever considered possible. "You have no idea what I have in store for you, but trust me when I say that soon you will be wishing you had the opportunity to thank me instead of questioning me."

Damon finally looked up to see Demetra hovering in midair and knew better than to speak. All he could do was watch the witch's fire emblazed eyes shine brighter than ever before as her hand stretched out to point in his direction. "Accept your fate, Damon, and do it honorably, but do not visit me again or I will revoke my offer!"

Then there was a blinding flash of light before Damon's entire world went black.

.

.

Damon felt effortlessly comfortable as warmth seeped through the front of his body, concentrating primarily on the center-most portion of his forehead. He felt the slight gush of someone's breath against his lips and he smiled knowing whose body rested against his; her scent would forever hold that intoxicating appeal he was currently absorbing.

He licked his lips to taste her lingering effect and inhaled deeply as she satiated him, but he kept his eyes locked tight in fear of ending the moment. Damon was perfectly aware that Elena's body was contained under the hold of his arm and he feared that if he opened his eyes he'd wake up.

The last thing he remembered was a bright flash of light overpowering everything else in the cellar. Demetra had obviously reached her breaking point and had decided to blow him to smithereens due to his resistance against her carefully structured path for his future. This was his moment of pure bliss before hell consumed him and fully intended to enjoy it for as long as he could.

Damon relished the moment for another few minutes before he took one last deep breath of Elena and reluctantly parted his lids. To his shock, she still remained; her face, the epitome of utter perfection, still rested a mere inch from his. Their foreheads were pressed slightly against each other and from this distance Damon could see every detail her face possessed.

He didn't pull back in fear of waking her, but instead studied the features that made Elena unbelievably special. As he did, Damon realized that she was most beautiful in her sleeping state. Her expression was blissfully relaxed and completely void of all of the emotional torment he had caused her. The only betraying sign of her heartache was the slight puffiness that encompassed her eyes portraying exactly how many hours she had remained awake crying over his stubbornness the night before.

Damon slowly pulled back and shook his head slightly, hating the way he had managed to blemish her previously flawless features, before lowering his gaze to the bandages on her neck and shoulder. He ground his teeth together forcing his protruding fangs back into their appropriate positions and took in how vulnerable the girl appeared. She was so fragile, so easily breakable and he wanted nothing more than to protect her; he _needed_ to protect her.

Because observing her this way allowed Damon to finally accept that Elena had been correct. Once she left, the memory of her would eat at him until he realized exactly how foolish he had been for letting her go once again. The first time had been painful enough, and honestly he wasn't sure he could go through it again. He knew he wouldn't be able to bear the agony of letting her go without fully knowing her fate. And the idea of reliving those days of uncertainty over her survival, while he remained here partaking and furthering a war that he no longer believed in, seemed ridiculous.

It was hard to accept, but his life was absolutely nothing without her; _he_ was nothing without her, and from the way Elena had been talking, Damon was positive the same stood for her.

And although their discussion had been as cryptic as ever, Damon couldn't refute the idea that Demetra had also been pushing him to leave with Elena. Of course she hadn't come out with that exact statement, but certain comments had Damon second guessing his belief in her demise.

_Not everything is black and white._

For some reason, he still felt the pull from his gut alerting him that Elena's life would ultimately end, but that statement had his mind swirling with the idea that maybe he had been incorrect. And even if Elena's life was in danger, then he wanted to be there to ensure that her survival was forever a possibility.

He was tired of resisting; tired of causing himself and the girl of his affection terrible pain. And perhaps he was letting his selfishness get in the way, but for the first time since she had shown up, Damon felt secure in his choice. This was what they both wanted and most of him believed that he was what Elena needed. Still, that spark of doubt flickered in the back of his mind and he willed Elena to open her eyes once again exposing their connection that Damon knew would extinguish that flickering spark once and for all.

But her lids remained closed and although he couldn't bring himself to wake Elena from her peaceful rest, he still had to touch her. So Damon lifted his hand to lightly sweep a few strands of her falling hair from her face as a smile spread across his lips. It was unbelievable to him that somehow, even in this state, she was still managing to reach through his chest to keep a firm grip around his heart.

And although Damon knew she would never be aware of this moment, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against her forehead as a means of showing her his affection. The action felt natural as he pulled away and delicately cupped the side of her face in the palm of his hand. To his surprise, Elena leaned into his caress before parting her lids and meeting his smile with one of her own.

The connection he'd been awaiting from their interlocking eyes had the effect he'd been expecting. And as he gazed upon the beauty still held within his arms, Damon knew he was ready to run away with her. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that this was the choice he was supposed to make and he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. Securing her positive outcome had always been his top priority, but now he assured himself that his involvement was more crucial than ever.

* * *

Elena had been reawakening for a few moments and had felt Damon's gentle touch on her skin for the past moment or two. When she felt his fingertips sweep through her hair, she knew she had to of been dreaming. The night before, he had made it all too clear that her safety was threatened if he chose to be with her and that was not something he was willing to jeopardize.

But then she had felt the slight chill of his lips press against her forehead and the sensation was entirely too real for her to be dreaming. As his hand moved to embrace the arch of her cheek, she couldn't help her bodies' involuntary reaction to nuzzle into it.

Knowing she had just blown her "still asleep" cover, Elena opened her eyes only to be met by Damon's adoring smile. His fire blue eyes almost twinkled in content, and it had been so long since she had seen him genuinely smile, that Elena couldn't deny him the same curve that reflected back from her own lips.

He was so relaxed; so warm and inviting, that it was apparent that somehow his choice had changed. She wasn't sure what had brought on this change, but she was more than willing to accept it. So instead of moving away, she welcomed his comforting embrace and knitted her brows as she softly observed, "You're smiling."

He noticed how her statement had also been a question because he appropriately answered and confirmed what Elena had already assumed. "Well, that's because I've realized how idiotic I was being for letting you go once again. But don't give me those judgy eyes; I had the best of intentions the entire time."

Damon repeating the very words she used against him, made Elena giggle. She adored the fact that even during an argument, Damon still considered what she said monumental enough to save in his memory. She also knew without a doubt that Damon had always held her best interests at heart, but it was still nice to hear him confirm it out loud.

And after hearing his truth, she felt the need to reciprocate and assure him that she never doubted his intentions. "I always knew you did, but I'm glad you've switched your stance on the matter. Actually, I'm really curious as to what made you change your mind."

Damon smiled back at her as he rubbed the pad of him thumb along the smooth surface of her cheek. "Which reason do you want first?"

Elena lifted her brows revealing just how surprised she was by this information as she questioned, "Oh, there's more than one?"

Damon playfully narrowed his eyes as he confessed, "I've had a very busy night. So, do you want me to start in order of importance or work my way up to it?

Elena giggled before she responded, "Work your way up to it."

To Elena's relief, Damon kept his arm resting around her waist as he lifted his head onto his opposite hand forming the relaxed shape of a triangle. His eyes drifted towards the ceiling and she knew he was momentarily considering where to begin. But then his eyes fell and locked onto hers as he confessed everything that had occurred in the forest.

After his recap, his eyes went hazy for a moment before he finally admitted, "I always believed killing was my one true purpose in this life because it came so effortlessly to me, but I no longer believe in the reasons that drove me towards doing so; I never really have. And then I considered how awful it would be to stay here and continue living the same life I have for the past six years without the same dedication I once held."

Damon then removed his hand from Elena's waist to trace circles with his fingertip lightly along her bare shoulder as he added, "I don't belong here anymore and the reasons to stay just didn't seem justifiable enough to let you go."

Elena shot him an adoring smile and corrected, "No reason is justifiable enough for you to not come with me."

Damon let out a low laugh and lowered his arm to relax on Elena's hipbone as he countered, "You dying because of my choice to come with you seemed justifiable enough at the time, which brings me to the second reason my position has changed."

Elena lifted her head onto her hand imitating Damon's very form and with a slight nod of her head she stated, "I'm ready for it."

Damon softly rubbed the divot that Elena's structure created on the side of her body as he explained, "I visited the witch again."

She cocked her head to the side and teased, "The same one that had you so convinced in your original decision?"

Damon smiled as he nodded his head in confirmation. "She's always so cryptic in the information she offers, but this time I think she was somehow revealing to me that I choose to leave with you."

His eyes seemed to focus on a point in the distance as she continued, "There's just something about the way she reveals information. It's like she's supplying all of the pieces I need to figure it out, but I just need to work through the coding to understand it. And I think I finally did. I'm supposed to leave with you. I can't explain how I know this, but I just do."

He then refocused his attention on Elena as he added, "And instead of blowing me to bits, she returned me here in perfect state to you. I guess that has to account a little for her opinion in all of this."

Elena didn't understand his last statement, but she wasn't about to ask him to clarify. This witch business was too confusing for her to wrap her head around, so she was more than ready to move past this portion of their conversation.

She lifted her free hand to play with a few strands of his dark hair and commented, "Well, this witch seems entirely too powerful and manipulative for my liking, but if she persuaded you to leave with me than I really can't dislike her. What's your next reason?"

A confident smile lifted the edges of Damon's lips upward as he replied, "Only the most important one."

He once again lifted his hand to cup the side of her cheek as though more physical contact was needed to reveal what he was about to say. "I went six years without knowing if you were alive or not. I fooled myself into accepting that your fate was ultimately your fate either way. I tried to burry your memory behind so many others and failed every time."

Damon then paused for a second to take an unnecessary deep breath before he continued, "It was torture being separated from you and I can't imagine spending another day without you in it with me. I know it's selfish, but I want to be there to protect you and ensure that your heart remains beating because it's the only reason mine would beat if it was still alive."

His heartfelt confession had a melting effect on her insides and Elena felt her tongue dancing behind her lips ready and eager to meet his. But first, she needed him to realize that in no way was his heart dead. If anything, his confession had just proven otherwise. "Just because it isn't beating doesn't mean it's not alive."

Damon laughed her argument off and mocked, "Actually, I think that's exactly what that means."

Elena rolled her eyes at his typical deflective sarcasm and countered, "If you want to speak figuratively about it, then yes it's not alive. But you feel, Damon, and tell me how that would be possible if what you said was true?"

Damon stared at her like he was calculating the validity of her statement before he started stroking the side of her cheek affectionately. He narrowed his eyes for a moment and shot her a million dollar smirk before he changed the subject and said, "I like you like this."

She smiled back at him and playfully asked, "Like what?" She didn't see how her behavior was any different than normal. Damon was the one who had completed the 180, not her.

He leaned forward and whispered, causing his words to sound entirely too seductive, as he clarified, "Passionate. You possess a certain passion in everything you do, whether it's fighting for what you believe in, fighting against me…"

But he was cut off mid-sentence because Elena realized that with him speaking so softly, she couldn't resist the urge any longer. She had leaned forward and pressed her lips against his and Damon had responded by mimicking the contour of hers as they moved against each other in perfect unison.

Elena latched her hand around the back of his head and took a few strands of his hair between her fingers as Damon's tongue entered into her mouth. Although his exterior was chilled and tough to the touch, his tongue felt warm and forgiving as it massage against hers. The feeling of finally obtaining him was astounding and Elena tightened her grip, in fear of ever losing him again, as her breathing became heavy.

Before she was ready for the moment to end, Damon slowly pulled back and chuckled. With a wiggle of his eyebrows and a satisfied smirk on his face, he continued exactly where he left off and added, "Or kissing me with everything you've got."

There was astonishment in his expression as his pacific blue eyes tore into hers. "Even when I believed I was resisting to save _your _life, you still fought me tooth and nail because you thought the possibility of our future was more important than the security of yours."

Elena was still trying to steady her breathing. She was entirely too disappointed in Damon pulling away and wanted nothing more than to continue what had been put off for far too long. But his chest was wide open and she didn't want to deny him the truth he deserved. So she resisted the urge to let out a defeated sigh and honestly confirmed, "That's because I knew you were worth the risk."

Damon reached up to tuck a strand of her chestnut hair behind her ear and expressed his opinion on the matter. "I think your image of me is terribly construed."

She reached out to playfully touch the tip of his nose and objected, "And I think you don't give yourself enough credit."

He cocked his head to the side as sadness shadowed his previous adoration. "Regardless, I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this point."

She knew Damon had only been resisting for her benefit and there was no part of her that held it against him. All that mattered was that he was finally here, ready and willing to accept their inevitable unification. So, in order to show just how little his past actions affected her now, Elena smiled as she shrugged her shoulders and assured, "It's okay. What's a few days really when I get to spend the rest of eternity with you?"

"And that is exactly what I'm going to ensure." He then leaned in to gently press his lips against hers and Elena once again found herself falling under Damon's intoxicating appeal, unsure if she'd ever get used to the effects it emitted from her body.

A few seconds later, Damon had only managed to increase her hunger for him before he pulled back. She kept her eyes shut a few seconds longer than necessary, fully appreciating the lingering hum Damon's lips had evoked from her body, before finally opening them. As she did, Elena noticed the all too familiar determination that had set across Damon's expression and knew that whatever he was about to say was important. But her mini-preparation did little to prepare her for what managed to come out of his mouth.

"But first we need to get you out of here and I've decided to change our plans. We're leaving tonight."

* * *

_**Please read and review! :)**_

**I need your opinions:**

**My mind is sort of sending me down a road that involves more adult content in this story, but I know a lot of you have subscribed under the notion that this story wouldn't include that. You guys have invested a lot of time in this story already and in no way do I want to offend anyone.**

**So, I'm leaving it up to you all. Let me know if you approve of adult content or if you would prefer I leave it out and whichever side receives more votes will ultimately be the way I write. Also if adult content wins out, I can guarantee you it will not be included in more than one or two chapters. (I'm pretty sure)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I originally asked everyone's opinion regarding adult content for a future chapter, but after realizing that not only are most of you okay with it; but you actually want it, I've included a bit in this chapter. There's also a bit of fluff because I really just couldn't help myself!**

**Also, this chapter didn't end where I originally intended for it to. My original goal was to include two more scenes in this post, but I'm finding that my scenes are coming out much longer than I originally figured they would and I didn't want to make it too long this time around. So instead of ending around the same length I typically do on a scene that didn't fit as an ending, I just cut it a bit short. Hope you all don't mind!**

_**Please enjoy!**_

* * *

Damon had just finished filling Elena in on everything that had happened since her arrival including every piece of vague information Demetra had supplied him about their future.

Elena knew she should have been concentrating on decoding Demetra's intentions, but Damon had had a difficult time remembering everything. He couldn't recall exact phrases and she couldn't ignore the feeling that he wasn't supplying her with everything. But mostly importantly, she couldn't get past the fury that consumed her after hearing that Damon had kept this information from her for the past few days.

Elena's anger had yet to register on her face as Damon pierced into her with incredible intensity and asked, "I know we're unprepared, but don't you see why it's important that we get out of here as soon as possible?"

It literally pained Elena to place her hand on Damon's chest and push him away so their bodies were no longer intertwined, but at the moment she was too angry to appreciate the contact of his skin against hers. And it didn't feel right allowing him that luxury after keeping something so important from her. He didn't deserve to touch her.

She let her expression reveal exactly how much of an impact his withholding of precious information had caused her as she spat, "What I don't understand is why you didn't tell me the information sooner! I think a spell resulting in my species' inability to change at will is something you should have mentioned earlier."

Damon shot her an incredulous glance as he assured, "Elena, I was going to tell you."

Elena was still resting her head on her left hand, so she spastically threw her free hand into the air and questioned, "When? Because up until a few moments ago you had every intention of pushing me through the city gates and setting me off on my merry way; alone, I might add. Were you just going to throw it at me as a side note before you watched me dart off into the forest?"

Damon cocked his head to the side and tried to ease her tension as he playfully suggested, "I think you're being a bit overdramatic, don't you think?"

He then tried to reach out and touch the side of her face, but Elena swatted his hand away. She frantically shook her head from side to side as she argued, "No I don't. And besides, this is evidently a quality you love about me remember? My passion when I'm fighting against you." She took a deep breath as she calmed her nerves and knew she was being a bit over the top, but his unwillingness to supply her information until today left her feeling betrayed. And that was something she hadn't expected Damon to make her feel.

Elena made sure the hurt shined through her eyes as she softly asked, "We're you even going to tell me? Honestly?"

Damon didn't unlock his eyes from hers and his voice was laced with genuine truth as he replied with a simple, "Yes."

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously and questioned, "Are you just saying that to win me over again?"

Damon let out a low laugh as he countered, "I hardly think a one word response would ever result in the effect of winning you over. But I have a confession that I think might do the trick."

Elena skeptically lifted her brows and urged him to continue, "And that is?"

Damon reached for her again and Elena wanted to move from the contact, but didn't have the will to resist a second time. He swept his fingers down her jawline leaving heat along the path and confessed, "I would have told because I love you."

Those three words were all Elena needed for her anger to subside and be replaced by lust. The vampire before her was the epitome of dark perfection and her heart swelled at the notion that somehow she was the one who had managed to capture his adoring affection. She'd known it for some time, and yet it still didn't quite seem realistic that of all the people in this world, he had chosen her, but she wasn't about to question it.

Instead, she had decided to give up because what was the use in fighting with him anyway? He'd unloaded everything onto her and that was the important thing. He wasn't keeping secrets anymore and the way his striking blue eyes tore into hers had her forgetting why she was angry with him all together.

Elena licked her lips at the sight of him and was about to repeat his very statement when Damon lips pressed into hers. The luscious appeal they possessed was like magic as they overpowered her will to speak and Elena wrapped her arm around the back of his neck pulling him closer to her and further into the moment. She wanted to express how deeply rooted her feelings were for him as well, but it suddenly became clear they weren't going to be expressed verbally.

So as Damon laced his arm around her back pulling her body tightly against his, Elena slid her hand up and into the dark luxurious strands of hair covering his head. She felt his tongue glide along her lips practically begging for permission to meet hers and she parted them allowing him entry.

The feeling of his tongue dancing with hers sent a surge of desire to her lower region and Elena rolled over to place herself on top of him. She pushed her lips more roughly against Damon's as she felt the feeling of his stiff member against her most sensitive areas through the fabric of their outfits. She slid herself slowly against him resembling the motion of having sex and she had to unlock the contact of their lips.

She shifted her head to rest against the side of his as a moan escaped her lips. The sound had obviously only managed to increase Damon's previous hunger because he pushed himself into a sitting position and ripped Elena's thin dress over her head before bringing his lips to the nook of her neck.

The sensation of him there brought memories of his feeding smashing into Elena's vision and it only managed to spark her arousal more. So she gripped onto the sides of his head and reforced his mouth against hers. Their kisses quickly became longer and much, much hotter as Damon's hand found its way to her bare breast. He started by barely touching the tip of her nipple almost as a form of teasing, but within no time she filled his entire hand as he massaged the area.

In the seated position she was in, Elena could feel all of him slightly rubbing against her anticipating center and knew she was eager for more. But before she could pull her lips from his to verbalize her need, she felt air sweep through her hair as her back settled onto the bed.

She felt the quick break of Damon's body from hers before he once again settled on top of her minus the barrier that had previously been his clothes. Before his lips once again locked onto hers, Elena swept her eyes across his bare skin which resembled the perfection of porcelain and couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch him. She ran her fingertips across his bare toned chest in an effort to memorize every subtle indentation it possessed. He felt marvelous as she traced her way past the divot of his hips and took all of him in the palm of her hand.

Damon let out a weak groan as she slowly moved her hand up and down the length of his shaft and Elena surged with internal pride knowing she was the one supplying him this pleasure. Not wanting to be outdone, Damon traced his index finger between the center of her breasts and down her stomach before hovering right above the area she wanted him to touch the most.

A satisfied smirk lifted the edges of Damon's lips upward as Elena watched him from below and it was easy to see he was getting entirely too much satisfaction in teasing her. She was about to latch her hand onto his and force it to the proper location, when he gave in and slid a finger inside of her. All of her previously built arousal felt like it was going to crash in on her at the feeling of Damon finally inside of her and she let out a pleasure-filled moan as a response.

As his hand moved in and out of her center, his thumb played with her clit and Elena knew she was already seconds from release. Not wanting to finish without the feeling of him truly inside of her, she grabbed onto his hand and forced it to a halt. Through heavy breathes she whispered, "I want _you_."

Desire caused Damon's eyes to illuminate a fiercer blue than Elena had ever considered possible as he removed his finger and replaced it with the full length of his shaft. She was overwhelmed by the sensation of him filling her completely and couldn't help the slight gasp that escaped her lips from her quick release of air.

The touch of him sliding along her inner walls was incredible and she couldn't imagine how feeling this complete was possible, but then he repeated the action shattering that previous disbelief altogether. He started slowly and Elena relished the sensation each thrust produced from her body before he quickened the pace.

As he moved in and out of her core, Elena had to grip tightly onto his back to keep herself from shattering too quickly. She pulled his bare chest against the front of hers and marveled the chill it sent straight up her spine. The impression Damon's body was leaving on hers was nothing but utter bliss and she was completely aware that her building pleasure was about to break over the edge at any second.

Although the satisfaction he was supplying was more than enough, Elena wanted every act Damon was willing to offer. And it took all of her strength to produce the words, but she managed to weakly demand, "Bite me."

He leaned down to kiss her intensely before he ripped his lips from hers and pierced into the skin of her neck. The prick was more than Elena's sensitive body could handle and she immediately felt the results of being penetrated not only once, but in two ways by the man she so desperately loved.

Elena felt the wave of euphoria crash through her bloodstream sending her to the ultimate high as her inner walls tightened around him. He continued his thrusting motion as she rode wave after wave of impeccable pleasure and seconds later Damon had reached his own climax.

Elena felt his body spasm beautifully against hers before he released a large breathe of air and settled himself on top of her. Her body hummed in satisfaction and she felt as exhausted as Damon appeared, but with him still lodged inside of her, Elena knew she would be more than willing to partake in an immediate round two.

Damon leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers causing her stomach to fill completely with hyperactive butterflies as she swept her hand through the dark mass atop his head. He then pulled back and shot her a satisfied heart-wrenching grin as she felt the three words form in the back of her throat.

Just as she opened her mouth ready to confess exactly what her body had shown, the sound of Damon's door sliding open filled the air. Damon didn't even have time to remove himself from within her as Caroline's bubbly voice sounded.

"Good morning… oh my god!" The female vamp quickly covered her eyes in embarrassment and turned around before she spastically stated, "I always interrupt at the wrong times but, Damon, it's time for you to start training. I'll just… I'll be outside." She then flashed out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

* * *

If Damon's entire body wasn't still strumming in complete satisfaction he would have ripped open that door and given Caroline a piece of his mind. But the feeling of still being contained within Elena, her walls encompassing every inch of his manhood, had sent a warm haze over his consciousness. And as she let out an embarrassed giggle and buried her head in the center of his bare chest, Damon couldn't help but consider himself the luckiest man, well vampire, in the entire universe.

He placed his lips against Elena's head, burying himself in the silk of her hair, and left a gentle kiss in the spot before finally letting out a low laugh of his own as her chocolate orbs reappeared and locked onto his. His heart literally felt like it was going to beat through his chest at the image of her radiating happiness and knowing he was the reason it was there.

She just so damn delightful that he wanted nothing more than to give her every reason to keep that satisfied expression plastered on her face forever, but Damon assured himself that there would be plenty of time for that later. Today they still had to keep up their charade and pretend nothing was out of the ordinary; that no escape plan was in the works.

So he painfully removed himself from within the warmth of her core and immediately felt incomplete and as he gazed upon the girl of his affection. Her expression revealed that she shared his same disappointment and he smugly assured her, "Once we're out of here, you never have to be separated from _him_ again."

Damon then leaned forward and supplied Elena with one last lingering kiss while he mentally prepared himself to leave the bed. As he slowly pulled away, a fulfilled smile graced her face and with her eyes still shut Elena cooed, "That sounds fantastic."

He let out a low laugh before he removed himself from the bed he so wanted to remain in for the rest of the day and stated, "But for today we both need to continue as we have been." He slid his clothes back onto his body as he continued, "I have training and I need to track down our weapon. And _you_ get to enjoy your play date with Caroline."

Elena, who had finally succeeded in pulling herself from the bed, bent down to pick her dress off of the floor. Damon watched as she lifted her arms and slid the light fabric onto her body. It covered all of her intimate areas that were now reserved for only him and Damon resisted the urge to immediately rip the thing back off.

Ignorant to his inner struggle, Elena ran her hand a few times through her free falling hair before a troubled expression masked her face. "It doesn't feel right leaving Caroline behind knowing that Demetra has something in store for this place."

Damon reflected her same distressed expression as he explained, "Her stance on the werewolves is not nearly as affable as mine. I know you two have become friendly, but there's no saying how she'll react to hearing you're a werewolf and that I intend to run away with you. And I'm not sure I want to risk the possibility of her doing something stupid like following her trained instincts and killing you on the spot."

Damon saw the momentary tremble that shook through Elena's body before she composed herself and replied, "That's always a possibility, but I trust Caroline enough not to lash out at me. Maybe if you explain everything to her the same way you did with me it'll help sway her understanding." She then paused a second before adding, "Don't you think she deserves the chance to make her choice on her own?"

He was about to refute Elena's argument once again, but figured it best to drop the subject. Damon let out an unnecessary breath of air as he muttered, "I'll think about it." He'd have the rest of the day to consider whether or not he would let Caroline in on their mission and even if he decided to, he wouldn't inform the vamp before she spent an entire day with Elena. That would just be begging for an unfortunate situation.

Elena nodded her head accepting his response, before she closed the distance previously separating them. She lifted her gaze and peered up at him through her doe eyes as she requested, "I understand why we have to leave tonight, but can we promise not to keep secrets from each other anymore?"

Damon couldn't help but smile at her request. He'd been surprised at how easily she had given up their previous argument, so the fact that she had decided to continue it seemed natural of her characteristics. He lowered himself to her level and placed his hand under her chin as he assured, "I promise, but Caroline's waiting and I've got to get training started."

He then dropped his hand and headed for the door. His hand had just grasped the edge of the stone as Elena's voice filled the air.

"Oh and Damon…."

He turned around to look in her direction and with an exquisite smile spread across her lips she finally confessed, "I love you too."

Damon couldn't hide the giddy and entirely too boyish grin that he shot back in her direction as he stated, "I'll see you tonight."

He knew his ridiculous grin was still slashed across his face, but he couldn't remove it as Damon slid the door shut and came face to face with Caroline.

Her arms were crossed over her chest as her foot tapped against the ground impatiently. "Well you could have sped your finish up a little bit on my behalf."

Damon let out a weak laugh and kept the grin on his face to portray the joking atmosphere this conversation was about to take. He tapped his index finger against her chest and refuted. "If I recall correctly, the last time you and I spoke you were groveling for my forgiveness because you stabbed Elena. So I hardly think I owe you any favors."

Caroline rolled her eyes and returned his grin with a smug one of her own. "Oh come on, that giddy smile on your face more than proves you've gotten over the accident yesterday."

Damon waved his index finger in the air as he corrected, "I wouldn't go that far, but I no longer have the urge to snap your neck if that makes you feel any better."

She nodded her head and sarcastically responded, "Why yes it does and your biting wit this morning is really lifting my spirits as well."

"Tease all you want, Caroline, but if you so much as draw one drop of blood from her today I will not hesitate when I get the urge to snap your neck again. Got it?" He then shot her his million dollar smirk to show he was still upholding the playful nature of their conversation while the reality of his threat hung in the air.

Caroline rolled her eyes and quipped, "Ghesh, I got it." She then elbowed him in the side and pushed, "This girl's really gotten under your skin. You're _really_ smiling, which isn't exactly unheard of, but definitely uncommon coming from you. And you've got this sort of pep in your stance that shows you've found a new meaning behind life. I'm not going to say that I understand how she's managed to change you so completely in just a couple of days, but I'm also not going to argue with it."

Damon held back his laugh at Caroline's notion that Elena had managed to change him in a mere couple of days. If only his friend understood that Elena had been with him for 17 years, perhaps she would have understood a bit better. He hadn't decided if she would learn this precious information or not, but he knew 100% that he wasn't ready to supply it now.

So instead of speaking his inner monologue out loud, he wrapped his arm around Caroline's neck and assured, "Nothing's changed and I'm still the same guy you've come to lovingly hate over the years. I'm just a bit happier."

Caroline scuffed as she countered, "Well that's the understatement of the year. You're practically glowing and honestly I approve of this newfound soft spot you've developed for your human. Just make sure it doesn't clog your emotions while we're out in the field. I wouldn't want that soft spot widening and embracing the wolves."

It was more than apparent that her last sentence had been a joke, but Damon tensed at its truth. Caroline had always been a lethal killer and he'd personally trained her to despise werewolves. Now, because of his own doing, Damon honestly wasn't sure that he could reverse that mindset that he had so successfully created.

The doubt sloshed around the base of his stomach as it mixed in with remorse over the idea that soon Caroline might no longer hold a position in his life. She had become such a crucial part of him that the idea of leaving her behind left an ache in his chest, but he ignored it and held his reserve as he lied, "You don't have to worry about a thing. And don't mistake my cheerful attitude as weakness. You know me better than that."

The vamp removed herself from under his arm and rolled her eyes at his macho act, but otherwise believed his lie. "Good, because with all of these women on our team I'm going to need you to…" But Caroline stopped mid-sentence and narrowed her eyes as her focus landed somewhere in the distance behind Damon.

He turned around to see exactly what had Caroline so worked up, only to regret it immediately. Katherine was sashaying her way towards them and Damon was in no mood for the bitch to spoil his day so early in the morning.

He was just turning back around when Caroline pointed towards his door and muttered, "That's my cue to leave."

He watched Caroline maneuver the door of his bedroom chamber and reminded, "Not one drop of blood, Caroline," before she slid the door shut abandoning him.

"Hello lover." The bitch purred the words into his ear and Damon rolled his eyes at being trapped in such a situation as she continued, "Why'd Caroline run off so fast?"

Caroline had never restrained hiding how deeply she loathed Katherine so it baffled him that the wicked vamp could honestly continue to pretend she was ignorant to the fact. So Damon shook his head at the audacity of Katherine asking such a question and replied, "I know it might be hard to believe, but you're not exactly her favorite person. You might have every man in this city fooled, but Caroline knows better."

He then finally turned around to confront the vampire and was ashamed at the way his betraying eyes scurried their way down her body. Katherine was wearing a short black dress that cut off right below the cheeks of her butt and it was so tight the outfit practically looked like it could have been painted onto her. Her demeanor was oozing sex appeal, but after the morning Damon had just experienced with Elena, he was relieved to find her attractiveness held no possession over him anymore.

Noticing his intake, Katherine placed her hand on the side of her hip and questioned, "Like what you see?"

Damon scuffed before he shot Katherine a scolding look and deadpanned, "I'm really not in the mood to deal with your antics this morning."

She lifted her brows questioning his statement as she asked, "Trouble in paradise?" She then weakly attempted to appear disinterested as she examined her fingernails. "I knew your human couldn't keep you satisfied."

Damon couldn't stop his blood from boiling at Katherine's dig on Elena. "Not that it's any of your business, but my human has no problem keeping me satisfied. She has already far surpassed everything that you could give me." He hated referring to Elena as his human, but it felt wrong including her so intimately in his conversation with Katherine. And for some reason he feared mixing the two would only taint the innocence of the girl he loved.

Katherine narrowed her eyes at his outburst and there was the hint of amusement in her voice as she suggested, "Damon, if I didn't know you better I would guess that you're trying to make me jealous."

Damon let out a faux laugh and countered, "But you know me better than that. You don't mean enough to me to waste energy on making you jealous. It's obvious _my human_ is doing that well enough." He mocked Katherine's characterization of Elena knowing full well the vamp would despise being considered inferior to a human.

But the vamp played her part well and revealed no sign that his words had held any effect on her confidence. Instead she inched forward and swept her index finger across the top of his chest and questioned, "When are you going to realize that your human is simply a placeholder for me?"

Her touch evoked nothing but disgust from his body and Damon approved of his new found immunity to her appeal even more. Feeling the need to rub the nonexistent effects of her lackluster performance in the bitch's face, Damon cocked his head to the side and answered, "Probably around the same time you realize you were a placeholder for someone else."

His last statement had hit its mark and Katherine's nostrils flared revealing just how infuriated she was with the direction their conversation had headed. There was fire ablaze behind her dark eyes as she stated, "Damon, you know better than anyone that I always get what I want. Do you really think that it's wise to refuse me of that?"

Damon smiled back at the rise he evoked from the cold hearted bitch and quipped, "To be frank, I don't really give a shit. Your attempts of once again coaxing me into your bed are pathetic. I don't want you anymore and I have a training session that I need to get to. So if you would please excuse me, I have to be getting as far away from you as possible."

He then tried to maneuver past Katherine when her hand latched onto his shoulder keeping him firmly in place. There was heat in her voice as she slowly threatened, "That was the biggest mistake you could have ever made."

He had to fight back a laugh at her transparent methods and wondered if Katherine would ever learn a new trick to obtaining what she wanted, but figured the answer to his question was a no. Damon latched onto her hand and pried it from around his shoulder before he mockingly questioned, "And I'm sure I'll pay dearly for it won't I?"

Katherine's eyes narrowed and became mere slits in her face as she slowly mused, "Quite dearly."

Damon rolled his eyes at her last attempt of a threat and sarcastically concluded, "As always, it's been a pleasure," before he slid past her and headed in the direction of the training center.

* * *

_**Please Read and Review! :)**_

**I just wanted to give you all a heads up that I have two friends visiting and staying with me for the next two weeks, which means my alone time to write will be extremely limited. I am going to try and make time, but I can't guarantee anything. It might be a little while until my next post and I apologize in advance for the delay.**


	10. Chapter 10

**So I had a few hours before my friend's plane landed and a few spare moments here and there to write this chapter. It's not as long as some of my others, but I figured that since I didn't know when I would get the time again that I should at least post what I had. I do have to warn you… there are no Delena moments this time around. Sorry!**

_**Hope you guys enjoy it anyway!**_

* * *

Damon stood on the side of the training center as he partially observed Rose and Anna's attempts at de-weaponing the other. He hadn't really felt like dealing with the scene of another werewolf death after everything he had realized the night before and figured a perfect solution for this would be vamp on vamp combat.

Anna was in many ways superior to Rose and the battle was almost laughable, but Damon never let his satisfaction show through his well-established reserve. He had managed to keep his expression slightly threatening and his lips stretched tightly in a thin line across his face.

As Anna once again managed to dislodge Rose's machete from her grip, Damon closed his eyes and allowed himself a minute to rehash his thoughts. He couldn't ignore the stab of regret at how foolishly he had let his cockiness take over when dealing with Katherine this morning. It had been stupid considering his audience, but at the time it had felt way too good to get under her skin.

In the past, she had manipulated him in an attempt to weaken his state as a means of obtaining what he had earned; his position and hunting grounds. And although he honestly didn't give a shit about any of that now; she could have it and more than likely would once he departed with Elena, it had him brought way too much satisfaction making her feel weak for once to stop.

But the reality of who she was still clogged the air making it almost difficult to breath. Katherine was manipulative and Damon had successfully just moved Elena up on the vampire's hit list. The fear of what the bitch could accomplish consumed him for a moment before he reassured himself that Caroline was with Elena. His friend hated Katherine above anyone else and there was no doubt in his mind that she would protect Elena if the situation called for it. Hell, Caroline would revel in the opportunity to give Katherine what she rightfully deserved and it was this notion that settled his nerves a bit.

But what managed to vanquish his fear completely was the thought of escaping with Elena this evening. If Katherine had anything up her sleeve the two of them would be long gone before the bitch ever got the opportunity to execute her evil scheme.

Satisfied with his internal reassurance, Damon opened his eyes to see Rose heaped over on the floor with Anna's machete lodged halfway into her stomach. He crossed his arms over his chest and reprimanded, "Maybe if you'd pay more attention to the lessons instead of Trevor over there, this unfortunate situation wouldn't have happened."

Damon was sure that if Rose had the capability, her face would have flushed the darkest color of red. She hung her head and removed the weapon from the pit of her stomach evoking a high pitched whimper from her mouth. As the wound repaired itself, she handed the weapon back to a smirking Anna and they once again resumed their activities.

After a few minutes, Damon motioned for Trevor. The vampire walked around the edge of the training center before settling himself next to Damon's side. "I need to speak with Alaric for a few minutes. Just watch the girls and make sure Rose doesn't die in the process will you?"

Trevor nodded his head and Damon made his way to the weapons cellar. He waivered in the doorway and watched as Ric transferred a half forged blade from the burning fire and onto a stone slab. Once there, the human repeatedly beat the steel a few times before he finally lifted his gaze up to notice Damon.

A smile lit up the man's face and it was obvious that Alaric was genuinely excited to see Damon. "Got the girls training against each other, I see. That's a new tactic." He then lifted his eyebrows suspiciously in Damon's direction.

Not really wanting to get into the details of why he had chosen not to include a werewolf in today's lesson, Damon shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Figured I'd try out something new."

Ric evidently bought his vague excuse because he let out a laugh and asked, "What can I help you with, Damon?"

This was one of the reason's Damon appreciated Ric's company so much. The man always got right down to the point and it was refreshing really since Damon wasn't exactly in the mood for small talk. "Actually there's a specific weapon I'm interested in." He paused for a second and noticed that Alaric's eyes watched him intently before he clarified, "An exploding bow and arrow."

This seemed to have caught Ric off guard. The man placed his half sculpted hunk of metal onto the table and ran his hand through his hair. "How do you even know about that yet?"

Damon rubbed the back of his hand across his forehead before shooting Ric one of his signature smirks. "Let's just say a little birdie told me and leave it at that."

Ric let out a weak laugh and made his way to the back room. He disappeared for a moment before returning with what looked like a traditional bow and set of arrows. He set it gently on the table and said, "Well, I only have one finished right now. But you can take a look if you'd like."

Damon made his way to the table and lifted the weapon into the air to examine it. He'd never been specifically familiar with this particular type of weapon, much preferring the ease that came with handling a dagger or blade, but he could see the subtle differences that made this particular bow and arrow different from its standard predecessor.

After taking a few moments to study the weapon, Damon shook his head from side to side and finally spoke up. "I really have no idea how your mind comes up with this shit."

"It's a gift, man." Alaric pointed his index finger at the tip of the arrow and explained, "There are three different components that make this thing work and they're all located on the arrowhead. There are fine amounts of nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal on the tip here and when they come in contact with an object, the impact causes an explosion; thus engulfing your opponent in flames."

Damon shook his head in disbelief that Ric had been able to create such a tactical weapon. The man was seriously a genius, but there was a question that needed to be asked. "Who are you creating this for?"

Ric's eyes darted back and forth revealing that he was searching for the answer and his expression became confused as he confessed, "I don't think anyone. The idea popped into my head a couple of weeks ago and I just started working on it."

Damon narrowed his eyes, unsure of how to handle his friend's momentary mental lapse. "You _think_ the idea just popped into your head?"

Ric's face had drained completely of its color and it was clear to see the man was having a difficult time accepting his own explanation of how the idea came about. His eyes finally refocused on Damon as he asked, "Weird, huh? I'm freaking you out aren't I?"

Damon released a soft chuckle and answered, "Honestly, after the shit I've seen over the past few days, nothing has the power to freak me out anymore. But would you mind if I take the weapon?"

Ric seemed to be mentally weighing the pros and cons of relinquishing his only finished prototype and Damon felt the need to speak up again. "I just need to borrow it for a couple of days to test the thing out. I promise to bring it back in one piece. You can trust me." He felt ashamed as soon as the words left his mouth, knowing full well that everyone had been a lie, but the weapon was important. Demetra wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise.

Ric let out a long sigh before nodding his head in agreement and Damon figured he was in the clear; mission successful. But as he turned to leave the room, Alaric placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, "What do you need it for anyway?"

Damon debated lying to Alaric again, but the idea left a bad taste in his mouth. This man had been nothing but warm and supportive since the day they'd met and it no longer felt right leaving him alone in this mess. He knew Ric was offered a few days a year to visit his wife and that the trip was planned for next month, but what was wrong with pushing that up a bit?

So he turned around to face Ric and placed his free hand on the man's shoulders. He inched his face forward so that his eyes rested directly in front of his friends and Damon felt his pupils dilate as he slowly ordered, "You won't remember giving me this weapon and as soon as I leave you're going to visit Elijah and ask to visit Jenna today. You received a letter; she's terribly sick and needs your attention, but you'll be back in a few days."

Damon then pulled his eyes from Alaric's before turning around and heading towards the door back to the training center. Right before he exited, Damon waved his hand through the air and acknowledged the man one last time. "Thanks for the weapon, Ric! And don't worry about Jenna, she'll be fine."

* * *

"You do realize that in two days you're going to have to handle yourself on your own down there don't you?" Caroline asked as she slid the door of Damon's bedroom open and motioned for Elena to step inside.

They had been in the slave's quarters for the past few hours allowing Elena the resources for a much needed warm bath, tasteless meal, and outfit change. The conditions were far from ideal and the idea of maneuvering down there without the company of her vampire bodyguard was downright chilling, but Elena thawed her frozen bones by reminding herself that it would never happen.

She and Damon would be leaving the city tonight and then she'd never have to bear the agony of being separated from him again. After six years of separation, they would finally be able to enjoy what Elena was so ready to embrace; each other. Of course they'd be running for their lives, but she'd done that for a good third of her life and with Damon by her side, Elena had no reason to be fearful. It wasn't going to be easy, she knew this, but Elena couldn't imagine a more accurate depiction of perfection.

"Did you hear me, Elena?" Caroline asked.

She shook her head and pulled the sensation of butterfly wings flapping against the lining of her stomach to the back of her mind. "Yeah sorry. I know I will and I'm not exactly thrilled about it, but I think I can manage myself."

Caroline ran her hand through her mass of blonde luxurious curls and assured, "There's no doubt in my mind that you can, but how are you going to hold up on your own when we go on three day hunting trips?"

Elena faked a gasp and widened her eyes for ultimate effect as she asked, "Three days?"

The vamp made her way to Damon's bed and sprawled herself across the top. "Yep, Damon's pretty intense when it comes to this werewolf slaying business. But then again, things may change now that he has you to come home to."

Elena felt the heat under her cheeks at Caroline's statement and immediately wanted to switch topics, but instead refocused the attention onto the vampire. "Don't you have anyone to come home to?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and replied, "I have Angelo." She then shrugged her shoulders and continued, "He's my designated slave, but he's not exactly what you're asking about. He's delivered to my room each night solely to keep me alive; that's it."

She knew Caroline was trying to hide it, but there was the slightest hint of anguish in her eyes and Elena couldn't help but feel pity on the vamp. She was about to say something reassuring when Caroline shook the sensitivity from her face and confessed, "The whole romance thing that you and Damon have got going on just isn't in the cards for me."

Elena knew it was entirely too cliché', but at the moment she was at a complete loss for something worldly. "Well maybe you just haven't found the guy yet."

Caroline scuffed and quipped, "Yeah, maybe there's a werewolf out there that will capture my interest because that's all I have left outside of these walls."

She then shook her head at the audacity of even mentioning such a disgraceful notion and concluded, "Elena darling, it's alright. Don't pity me because I've accepted that I'm a killer a long time ago. My relationship is with death and I'm perfectly fine with that."

Elena could see that past the perfectly established front, Caroline was the furthest from fine with her situation. The look made Elena's stomach churn because she knew that if Caroline stayed behind, she'd be taking the only relationship the female had. It wasn't a romantic one, but she'd come to realize it was an important one to her friend.

And it made Elena want nothing more than to just blurt out her and Damon's intentions for that night and throw Caroline the offer she so desperately wanted the vampire to accept. But she knew it wasn't her call to make. Still, the urge was there and it was gnawing at the back of her throat with each passing minute she spent with her new friend.

Caroline must have noticed her internal dilemma because her eyes suddenly filled with worry as she questioned, "Elena, are you alright?"

And Elena couldn't fight the urge anymore. Caroline was obviously Damon's friend, but damnit, she had become friends with her too. And since Elena had lost everyone else, she really wasn't prepared to lose one of the only two remaining presences in her life. She knew Damon would be furious, but she wasn't about to let him decide if Caroline deserved to know the truth or not. So, pushing Damon's opinions aside, Elena let out a breath of air to slow her hammering heart and opened her mouth when a knock on the door sounded through the air.

Caroline shot Elena a glance that asked _Who the hell is that_, like she had any idea who would be on the other side of that door, before crossing the room. The door slid open revealing a vampire Elena recognized, but couldn't remember the name of.

Caroline narrowed her eyes suspiciously and asked, "Lexie, what are you doing here? If you're looking for Damon he's got the girls in the training center."

"I'm not here to see Damon." Lexie then pointed in Elena's direction and clarified, "I'm actually here to collect her."

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest defensively and spat, "Excuse me? What are you talking about? I told you Damon has requested her indefinitely."

A weak smiled played on Lexie's lips as she said, "And normally that would stand true, but Klaus has taken an interest in the human."

A betraying gasp escaped from Elena causing both vampires to glance in her direction. Caroline shot her a look that said _Don't worry, I'll handle this_ before she refocused her attention on Lexie. "You have got to be kidding me! I'm sure he's taken an interest in at least half a dozen other girls as well, so there's no need for him to have Elena. He won't even notice if she's not there."

"The number of slaves he has requested is none of your concern." Lexie then rolled her eyes and chastised, "I knew Damon had you wrapped around his finger, but is it really in your best interest to be fighting his battle for him? I don't think you want to make this difficult because you wouldn't want me informing Klaus of your opinions concerning his private matters now would you?"

As the undertone of Lexie's threat lingered in the air, Elena's felt her airways constrict and it took every ounce of her strength to keep the oxygen flowing in and out of her lungs. The reality of what was happening was too much to handle and she felt like her knees were going to give way any second. She was so close to her freedom; to her perfect life with Damon, and now everything was being ripped right out from underneath of her.

She watched Caroline intently, wasting no effort in hiding the fear streaming from her eyes, and internally begged for her friend to keep fighting on her behalf. But all of her hope diminished as she witnessed Caroline's previously angered face fall into one covered by remorse. The vamp then made her way across the room and laced her arm around Elena's before leading her back towards the door.

On the inside, Elena was selfishly screaming for Caroline to continuing fighting, but she kept her exterior as emotionless as possible. She was sure her friend could hear the jackhammer affect her heart was producing, but apparently it didn't matter as Caroline took the last step and positioned Elena in front of Lexie.

Caroline unlaced her arm from around Elena's and finally looked her in the eyes. Elena could almost see the formation of a tear in the corner of her friend's eye as Caroline apologized. "I'm so sorry, but there's nothing I can do. You have to go with her."

Elena's vision became fuzzy as the liquid formed in her own eyes. She choked back a small sob and replied, "It's not your fault. Just don't let Damon do something stupid like come after me." She then watched Caroline nod her head in understanding before Lexie led her out of the room.

* * *

After his visit with Alaric, the remainder of his very last training session had been painstakingly drawn out and Damon knew it was a result of a certain female waiting for him in his room. The minutes dragged and he'd attempted to pass the time by focusing on his decision regarding Caroline. He had spent most of the afternoon contemplating the pros and cons of letting her in on their mission. But after getting nowhere, he figured the right decision would come when he saw her. It was a cop out and Damon knew it, but he was instinctive and figured it best to take advantage of those particular instincts.

Now, Damon felt like he was floating as his weightless feet led him in the direction of his bedroom chamber. If his heart could beat, he was sure his pulse rate would register a million beats per minute; he was just _that_ excited to see Elena. Only a few more turns until he'd see her radiant face and never again have to remove his eyes from it if he didn't want to.

But as he turned the corner, Damon felt the momentary rush of panic through his body at the thought of the obstacles they were going to have to face tonight. And that damn sense that Elena's life was up for grabs still weighed heavily on his shoulders. Obviously a few things still stood in their way before they would taste the freedom that hovered just beyond Tyrus' gates, but one glance at his newfound weapon vanquished those fears entirely.

Everything leading up to this point had fallen perfectly into place and Damon knew it was a result of Demetra's support. The witch was powerful and had obviously known this escape was in the works long before he or Elena had. She had pushed him towards it and as Damon rubbed his fingers across the wooden surface of the bow, he knew it would only help them in their escape. And there wasn't a doubt in Damon's mind that he would use it if the situation called for it.

Demetra had taken the liberty of planning everything for them and although Damon had no proof of this, he was absolutely certain it was the case. He took a moment and, uncertain if the witch could hear his thoughts from this distance, he mentally thanked her for everything. He wasn't sure if it was ungrateful, but he also begged for assistance in keeping Elena safe.

By the time Damon reached the last remaining corner before his corridor, his thoughts had managed to refocus themselves on the delicate curves of Elena's body. There was a cocky smile on his face as his mind contemplated how many times he could get her slender body to tremble in ecstasy before it was time to escape. And his whole body had begun to tingle in anticipation as Katherine came into focus.

The wicked vamp was leaning against the door of his bedroom chamber with one foot lifted and pressed against the stone. Her eyes were glittering in scheming satisfaction as he took the last remaining steps to her side.

Damon was about to force the bitch from her resting place, when she spoke up instead. "If that stupid smile is on your face because you're excited to see your human, then you're in for a huge disappointment. She won't be in there."

He dropped his weapon and quickly asked, "What are you talking about?" He then threw his door open to find the room void of the two females he was expecting to see. Damon quickly spun around and shouted, "What the hell did you do?"

A smirk lifted one side of Katherine's lips upward as she answered, "Just what I to. I'm sure you'll find Caroline in her room and she can fill you in on all the details."

Fury consumed Damon as he gripped onto Katherine's neck and slammed her into the wall. "Where is she?"

"You mean your human? She's not in your possession anymore, which leaves you free for me. And if this is any indication of what's to come, then I'm not sure if I can wait any longer." She then seductively lowered her lids and purred, "You know how much I like it when you take charge in the bedroom."

Damon slammed her body against the stone and screamed, "What the fuck did you do, Katherine?"

Katherine cocked her head to the side and back before she answered, "What needed to be done. I warned you that it wasn't smart refusing me of what I wanted. And all it took was a few words about your human's seductive appeal for someone else to take interest in her."

It was easy to see that the bitch was getting enjoyment from their intimate contact and Damon was finished with her games, but needed answers. Still, he wasn't about to smooth his temper and ask her nicely. So instead he slammed her against the wall a second time and heatedly demanded, "Tell me who!"

Katherine ignored his request and stretched out her arm so it latched onto the side of his waist. "All you had to do was give in to me, Damon, and none of this would have happened." Her voice came out light and sounded entirely too innocent considering who it was coming from. But then that innocent act disappeared and fire ignited behind her eyes as she added, "But since I'm not allowed to get what I want, neither do you."

"You manipulative bitch!" As the words fired from his mouth, Damon felt his demon break through the surface and his vision became red.

Katherine rolled her eyes at his new appearance and countered, "You know that look only manages to stimulate me more and say whatever compliment you want about me. It doesn't matter because in the end… I still won."

Not wanting to further Katherine with any pleasurable sensations like her arousal, Damon calmed his nerves and forced his face to transition back into its standard angelic state. And although the act pained him, Damon forced a smile out of necessity in showing Katherine how wrong she truly was. He then inched his lips forward so they hovered just slightly beside her ear and whispered, "But see you didn't because no matter what you do or how many people you remove from my life, you're still never going to have me. So in the end you still lose."

He then removed his hold and let her body slam against the cobblestone floor as it settled in a crumpled mess. Damon then turned and started to walk away before Katherine's anger-edged voice pierced into his eardrums. "Where are you going?"

Damon picked up the bow and arrow and continued his steps as his upper body turned slightly around to look in her direction. He didn't remove the disdain from his voice as he answered, "To fix the damage you've done."

And there was almost a hint of vulnerability in her voice as Katherine cried out, "It's pointless, Damon. You can't get her back!"

This time, he didn't even waste the energy to show her the common courtesy of turning around. Instead he kept his attention down the narrow passageway of the corridor in front of him and smugly disputed, "Fucking watch me."

* * *

_**Please read and review! :)**_

**I'm sure a lot of you are waiting for the escape to finally happen and I can assure you that it starts in the next chapter. Also, there are a lot of things that I want to take place during their breakout, so I have a feeling it is going to spill over into two chapters.**

**I'll try and make time to write over the next few days, but like I said before, I can't guarantee anything.**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Thank you all so much for your patience this past week! I really appreciate it as well as all of your continued support for this story. It means so much to me; truly!**_

**As I promised, this chapter includes the beginning of their escape. It involves quite a bit more action than I typically write, but I'm having a blast writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much. ****For those of you who aren't interested in adult content, I must warn you there is a small amount included in this chapter. There was originally a lot more, but I toned it down because my scene with Klaus got a little over the top. ****And that's it from me**_**.**_

_**Please enjoy!**_

* * *

Elena took a deep breath as she stared at the backs of the five other slaves Klaus has chosen for the evening. The past hour had been spent making her presentable for the king, which meant pouring herself into a barely there piece of fabric that was supposedly considered a dress. Elena couldn't believe that anyone considered her wardrobe an actual garment, but apparently when it came to Klaus, the saying 'less is more' was preferred.

Her dress was a see-through red lace number whose base came just below the cheeks of her butt while the sweetheart neckline scarcely covered the areolas of her breasts. She felt exposed and the tight cut of her barely-there dress was making her efforts at breathing even more difficult. And as the door of Klaus' chamber began to slide open, Elena literally felt like her airway had swollen itself shut.

She inhaled deeply forcing the oxygen into her lungs and took some comfort in her location on Klaus' bed. They had all been situated in various poses across the top, intertwining with one another in seductive positions. But Elena had fortunately been placed in the very back behind the others. She wasn't laced between another girl's legs, but was instead lounging solely with her arms bracing the weight of her body and one leg lifted into the shape of a triangle.

She was supposed to be keeping her chest perked up nicely in order to create a more appealing vision for Klaus, but Elena had no motivation of supplying Klaus with a more stimulating view. She didn't want to be here and she certainly didn't want to be anywhere near the vampire king. What she wanted was to be neatly placed in between Damon's supportive arms and this was the comforting image she focused on as Klaus emerged from behind the stone door.

Elena felt like time was moving in slow motion as the king made his way to the base of the bed. The king moved with such a graceful swiftness that it almost had a mesmerizing effect. He ran his fingertips along the legs of the olive skinned female at the foot of the bed before moving them along the arm of the next.

Elena watched, heart beating frantically within her chest, as Klaus' eyes finally made their way to her. His eyes were blue, similar to the ocean blue of Damon's, but without the warmth she had become so familiar with. They slowly ran their way down the length of her body and Elena felt her pulse accelerate, under the fragile layers of her skin, when Klaus' fangs elongated.

His eyes widened in astonishment as he reached his hand up to touch the side of her clenched jaw. Elena fought every urge to smack his hand away, but remained calm and collected on the outside. As his fingers traced their way down her neck and across her collarbone, Elena felt her breath hitch in her throat. He was going to bite her; this she knew. So she closed her eyes and begged for it to be quick. She focused on Damon's face in hopes that his memory would stay with her during the process offering her a safe haven during the despicable act. She held her breath and was caught in suspension, when the sensation of Klaus' contact left her skin.

She reluctantly parted her lids expecting him to still be standing in the exact location, but was surprised to see him sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. His chin rested in his hand and he portrayed the silhouette of a thinker. He held this pose for a mere second before he lifted himself from the chair and started barking out orders.

A cunning smile played on his lips as Klaus pointed towards the two girls located at the bottom of the bed. "I'll start with you two while the other three watch."

He then made his way to Elena and took a few strands of her hair between his fingertips. He twirled the ribbons until the very tips and mused, "You, my dear, are positively divine and I don't want you spoiling before I'm ready. I have something special planned for us, so you will be saved for last."

* * *

Damon slid the door of Caroline's bedroom chamber open without hesitating to offer her the decent courtesy of a knock. He needed answers and there wasn't time to waste on meager things such as politeness. Elena was with someone else and Damon's mind was whirling with who that someone might be and what that someone might be doing to her at this very minute. The mere thought of another's hands on _his_ Elena had his vision jolting red and his hands shaking beyond control, but he held himself together for the sake of getting her back.

When the door was no longer obstructing his view of Caroline's room, Damon noticed she was sitting on the edge of her bed with her mouth pressed against Angelo's wrist. Damon heard one last light gulp before Caroline looked up at him; eyes full of pity.

God damnit if Damon didn't want to throw her against the wall for relinquishing Elena, but he knew Caroline enough to understand that she wouldn't have handed his girl over without a good reason. And with her doe eyes peering up at him the way they were, Damon expected a heart-felt apology to start streaming from her lips. But instead, her eyes lowered to his weapon and she simply asked, "Are you planning to shoot me with that?"

Damon shook his head. As much as he wanted to blame her for this mess, he couldn't allow himself to do so. This was Katherine's doing and it wouldn't be fair for him to take his anger out on the innocent vampire standing before him.

So he cracked his knuckles and forced the anger out through his fingertips. "No. This weapon's important, but it's not for you. Can we have a minute?"

Caroline nodded her head in understanding before she tapped Angelo on the back. The human removed himself from the bed and walked through the door, sliding it shut after his exit.

Damon didn't waste any precious time before he started right in on the important subject at hand. "Who has her, Caroline?"

Caroline stood up from the bed and lifted her hands against her cheeks. "Klaus. I'm sorry, Damon, but there was nothing I could do. I know I should have fought for her more, but he's the king! I'm rather comfortable where I am on his good side. I don't even want to begin to think about what he could do to me if I stood in the way of what he wanted."

Damon nodded his head and explained, "I'm not mad at you, but I have to go."

Caroline shot him an incredulous look and asked, "Go where?"

He looked at her with determined eyes and informed, "I'm getting her back."

Caroline threw her arms into the air and sighed. "She doesn't want you to, she told me herself."

Damon shook his head and replied, "It doesn't matter."

Her eyes shot wide open in disbelief as she spat, "Don't be ridiculous! Do you realize exactly what you plan on doing? It's not like storming into a commoner's chamber and taking what you feel is rightfully yours. Klaus will not hesitate to have you killed on the spot."

Of course Damon knew this, but he'd already prepared himself for it. If he died, at least he knew it would be fighting for something he believed in. Elena was worth it and he'd gladly sacrifice himself ten times over to secure her safety.

All of his previous efforts at keeping himself under control shattered under the pressure and Damon found himself screaming back, "I don't care, Caroline! What he does with his slaves is no secret and I will not let her be subjected to that."

Caroline latched onto his shoulder and with hysteria laced through her voice, she reasoned, "But it's a suicide mission! Klaus will only use her until he's moved onto someone else. And I know that she's important to you. I get that; I do. But is this really worth risking your life and everything you have worked so hard to achieve here?"

Tears had started to form in the corners of her eyes and Damon knew this was the defining moment he had been waiting for. Caroline needed to know the truth and perhaps once she did, she'd stop fighting.

He set his weapon on the nearby chair before he took her face in the palms of his hands. He made sure his eyes expressed how deeply serious he was about the information he was about to supply her and informed, "My life here doesn't matter anymore because I planned on leaving tonight anyway. I'm taking Elena and we are getting as far away from this place as possible. And I would advise you do the same."

Caroline frantically wiped a stray tear that had managed to slide down the crease of her nose. "Excuse me? What the hell are you talking about?"

He knew he was being vague, but they didn't have time for him to hash out all of the details, so he just offered her the cliff notes version. "Something's going to happen and I'm not exactly sure when, but it's going to change everything. It's going to be terrible, Caroline, I can feel it. And you need to come with us."

Evidently Caroline wasn't buying it. She swatted his hands from her face and took a few steps back to allow distance between their bodies. She crossed her arms over her chest defensively and countered, "And you need to start making sense. You're speaking in adlibs here and to be quite frank, you sound insane. First you want to risk your neck for the sake of some human you just met three days ago, but you also want to run away with her because for some reason you believe this place is about to fall straight into the depths of hell. Did I cover everything?"

It was so typical of Caroline to throw her attitude at him and it took all of Damon's restraining will to keep that same attitude from his own voice. But he succeeded in remaining calm and explained, "I didn't just meet her. I've known Elena practically her entire life, but this war stole her from me. And I don't know what the hell is going to happen, Caroline, but I'm trying to save your life here. I know it sounds ridiculous, but you have to trust me on this one. So please stop fighting and let's go." He began tugging on her arm, but she once again swatted him away.

Damon watched as her face registered a sense of understanding causing her greyish-blue eyes to practically pop right out of their sockets. "I knew something was different about her!"

Those very same eyes shifted from side to side revealing her thought process when finally a gasp escaped through her lips. She slammed her index finger against his chest and accused, "Oh my god, she was your slave. Damon, she's a fucking werewolf! Why would you possibly risk yourself for the sake of a werewolf?"

Damon shrugged, showing a form of relaxation he really didn't have, and answered, "Because I love her."

Caroline's previously wide eyes narrowed as she shook her head from side to side. There was a hint of disdain in her voice, but the primary emotion was disappointment. "What's happened to you? One day you're slaying the mutts and the next you've fallen in love with one?"

Damon rolled his eyes at Caroline's narrow mindset. He knew it was a result of his own doing, but he didn't have time to deal with it right now. Every minute they spent arguing about this was another minute for Klaus to violate the girl of his affection. So he grabbed onto Caroline's arm a second time and led her towards the door. "You wouldn't even believe me if I told you everything, but we have to go. NOW!"

She maneuvered herself from his grasp and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't go with you. I'm not risking my life to save a werewolf, even if it is Elena." There was so much sadness in her voice, but her expression revealed exactly how firmly she stood behind her decision.

Damon could see there was nothing he could do and there wasn't enough time to break through to Caroline. And although it literally pained him to leave his friend behind, he headed for the door without her in tow.

Once there, he turned around and couldn't muster up the ability to keep the agony from his face. His voice was deflated and barely above a whisper as he concluded, "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you about what's to come. Your life is no longer on my hands."

* * *

Elena's eyes were wide as she sat with her back slammed against the stone siding encompassing Klaus' chamber. There was moisture obstructing her crystal clear focus of the disgusting act being performed on the vampire's bed before her, but it had little effect on making the image any less horrifying.

She was the only remaining slave left patiently awaiting her turn on Klaus' stick of fun, but waiting was almost worse than actually partaking in the act itself. From this view, she could see every sick act Klaus had executed and it had her mind reeling of the possibilities he had in store for her.

There were two barely alive, completely naked females dangling over the left edge of the bed. Blood was trickling from the many bite wounds Klaus had supplied during their foreplay and the only comforting sight was of their chests heaving slightly up and down to the rhythm of their breathing.

Klaus was bent over the back of the third driving himself in and out of her center. Her eyes were closed and there were whimpers of pain escaping from her lips with each smack of Klaus against her backside. The noises crying out of the woman were more than enough to show how little enjoyment she was receiving from the act, but this only seemed to electrify Klaus more. And when her whimpers became screams he drove himself harder and further into her.

But the worst image was of the fourth slave. Klaus' left hand was clenched tightly around her throat smashing her into the luxurious fabric covering the bed. Her eyes were locked tight as a means of mentally escaping what was happening, or maybe it was to keep the blood from stinging her eyes; Elena wasn't sure. Regardless of the reason, it didn't stop Klaus from lifting her up to his mouth every few moments to sink his fangs into the dwindling supply of liquid in her bloodline.

As the bile made its way up her stomach and threatened to saturate the inside of her mouth, Elena covered her eyes and regretted telling Caroline to keep Damon from saving her. She knew it was selfish, but the fear was overwhelming and her body literally trembled against the chilled stone of the floor. She wanted to be with Damon, she _needed_ to be with Damon. Free of this imprisonment and away from the bombarding images that would surely haunt her for the rest of her existence; saying she even walked out of this alive. But her knight in shining armor wasn't coming; she had made sure of that.

So with the reality of the situation pressing against her chest, Elena felt the moisture begin to tumble down the sides of her cheeks as the room went silent. She felt the steel cold fingers wrap around her wrists, forcing her hands to fall from her eyes, and lift her into a standing position. She kept her eyes locked tight not wanting to face the monster directly as he pushed her onto the bed.

She tried to curl her legs against her chest, but Klaus' hands latched onto them before she had the opportunity. He forced them to spread slightly apart as he placed the weight of his body against hers. Fearful sobs escaped from within Elena as Klaus' hands made their way along the delicate curvature of her side. He traced a swirling vine of the pattern imprinted on her dress as it brought his finger across the peak of her breast. Thankfully, he continued the vine throughout the remainder of the dress before bringing his touch to her neck.

His voice was smooth and calm, deceiving without the image of the monster he truly was, as he coaxed, "Darling, let me get a peek of your lovely eyes."

Elena frantically shook her head from side to side, but kept her eyes locked tight.

She felt his hand wrap around her neck, applying pressure to the underside of her jaw. "I don't want to have to do this the hard way, but I will if you make me. This could either be very enjoyable on your part or painstakingly unpleasant. Now, which one would you prefer?"

There was no doubt in Elena's mind that this experience was going to be the furthest from enjoyable whether she submitted to his orders or not, but for the sake of making it as painless as possible she slowly opened her eyes. Klaus' were located directly above hers and the hunger they possessed was terrifying.

As another betraying sob escaped through her lips, Klaus' expression became consumed with faux concern. Klaus lifted his hand and swept it through her hair with a touch that was remarkably gentle, but its gentile nature did little to stop Elena from flinching away at the contact. He looked at her quizzically and asked, "Who are you thinking about right now that has you so put off to my touch?"

There was no way in hell Elena was supplying Klaus with that information, so once again she dismissively shook her head from side to side. Her defiance angered Klaus and he tightened his grip around her throat. His eyes penetrated straight into hers as he ordered, "Tell me who you're thinking about."

Elena felt the hazy sensation and knew she was being compelled. She mentally screamed at herself to resist, but instead her betraying mouth answered, "Damon Salvatore."

Klaus' expression was unreadable as he contemplated her confession. He hovered inches from her face for a few seconds before lowering it to the crook of her neck. He then slid the tip of his nose against her skin as he said, "It's been some time since I've seen Damon, but from what I remember he was never really the intimate type."

Elena heard Klaus inhale slowly, taking in her sweet scent, before he continued. "I am truly disappointed that you've already been tainted. A delicate flower such as yourself needs someone gentle and I can't imagine Damon ever having the grace of a gentle touch."

Klaus then finally lifted his face and Elena could see that his eyes were narrowed and anger was seething through his flared nostrils. His fangs elongated and he added, "Then again, never did I."

His mouth stretched open as his face shot down to the curvature of her neck. Elena closed her eyes and braced herself for the pain of his fangs ripping through the soft layers of her skin, but instead felt the rush of air as Klaus' body was removed from hers.

Then _his_ arms were around her. Holding her in a way she would never again take for granted. She trembled into them, forcing her body against his. Allowing herself to embrace the comfort and protection he was supplying. Then Elena finally parted her lids to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Damon and his worry filled, crystal blue eyes came into focus before she became unhinged and the tears spilled from hers. Relief overcame her as the clear liquid poured down her cheeks knowing full well that she was safe; there was nowhere safer than encased within his arms.

But almost as in an attempt to prove her wrong, Klaus' voice spoiled the moment and Elena's momentary safe haven. "Damon Salvatore. What a gem you have stumbled upon here. And what a pity it is that I've decided to claim her as my own."

Damon swept her off of the bed and within a second they were standing against the wall. Her body was still enclosed in his arms, but they were tighter now. The hold was almost desperate as if Damon was portraying how very real and dangerous the situation was. But his voice didn't reveal the same fear that his betraying arms did as he spat back, "You will not lay another hand on her, you hear me?"

Klaus, who was located on the opposite side of the room, ran a hand through his disheveled dirty blonde hair and countered, "You are in no position to tell me what I can and cannot do. I am king here and that comes with its privileges."

Damon's hold was entirely too tight and the desperation in it left Elena doubtful of his confidence in himself. But when she looked up to meet his eyes, there was entirely too much fury sizzling behind them to further her doubt.

She watched as Damon's fangs elongated and he refuted, "Your position may come with its privileges, but in no way do you deserve her."

Klaus lifted his lips into a sinister smile and there was the slightest hint of amusement in his eyes as he said, "You can't possibly be this foolish. I will have that human as my own."

Damon relocated himself so that he was standing directly in front of Elena. She didn't like this new position one bit, feeling selfish that she was once again forcing Damon to place his life on the line in order to save hers, but the fear frantically thumping within her chest was too powerful to overcome.

She heard the snarl emanate from within Damon's throat before he threatened, "Over my dead body you will."

Then Klaus lunged in their direction and Elena felt the emptiness of Damon's body leaving hers in order to intercept the king's impact before it reached her. Their bodies collided in the center of the room before their movements became too fast for Elena's eyes to register. There were whooshes of air and streams of color as their bodies moved throughout the room. The only visible moments were those when Damon had Klaus' body plastered against the wall with his hand around his throat or vice versa.

The vice versas were the hardest for Elena to watch. Every second seeing them like that, Klaus' hands clenched around Damon's throat, supplied Elena with the sensation of a dull blade jabbing into her chest. But every time she had mustered up enough courage to get her feet moving in order to help Damon, they were flashing in a new direction yet again.

Within seconds, the room was in complete disarray. Crumbling chunks of stone had settled across the floor leaving a trail where the two vampires had already traveled during their battle. There were broken pieces of furniture scattered throughout the room, but the space around Elena was unscathed. She wasn't sure if this was just another means of Damon's protection or the luckiest trajectory she could have asked for, but she was thankful regardless.

But that slight sense of relief was taken away the moment Klaus slammed Damon's body against the wall. His hand was clenched around his throat and there was panic blazing from the blue of Damon's eyes. Elena assumed that in a moment like this her heart would have accelerated to an ungodly heightened speed, but instead it seemed to stop; frozen, almost as if making the decision that if Damon was to pass then so would she. And there wasn't a doubt in her mind that this was the absolute truth. She would not live on without Damon.

Then the tables turned symbolically in line with the vampires bodies. In one swift motion, Damon had Klaus smashed against the wall and his hand was lodged deep within his chest. A mere second passed before it ripped back out clutching the blackest heart Elena had ever laid eyes on. She didn't think it was possible that this vampire could possibly have a heart and yet there it was, even more lifeless than it previously had been encompassed in the cage that had been Klaus' chest.

As the vampire king's body slid to the floor Damon slowly turned to face her and although his features were as demonic as her mind could fathom, Elena felt no fear. His eyes and streaking veins were as black as midnight, but his body was completely unharmed and it caused her heart to reboot.

Elena once again felt her blood pulsating through her body as Damon dropped the heart. It thudded against the ground as he made his way to her. His hands lifted to the sides of her face instead of around her back like Elena had been expecting. Then he pulled her into him and as their lips pressed against each other's, Elena let all of her pent up emotions seep out through her skin. His hands held tightly onto her cheeks as Damon kissed her fiercely in a way that exposed how uncertain he had been in his own ability to protect her.

They had been so close to losing each other, that Elena clinged to him now in desperation; never wanting to leave him or this moment again. There were tears of joy streaming down her face as she spoke semi-statements against his lips. "I was so scared… He was terrifying… Thank you… I love you…"

Damon then rotated the angle of his head so that his forehead rested against hers. Their eyes were so close and there was so much devotion radiating from them as he assured, "I will never let anything happen to you."

Elena could tell that he was about to continue, but then Damon's cocked his head to the side. His eyes left hers and glanced towards the partially open door of Klaus' bedroom. He listened intently for a few seconds before swooping her into his arms. Urgency was prominent in his voice as he explained, "We have to get out of here now. More soldiers are on their way."

As Damon carried her out of the room, Elena was about to ask what had happened to the original soldiers when her answer was supplied. There were six men lying lifelessly on the floor. Blood was splattered along the walls and hearts were scattered over the floor. There was even a decapitated head lying on the ground. Elena's eyes became wide as she took in the image and instead of searching for the body that belonged to the severed head, she looked up at Damon and asked, "How did you do all of this on your own?"

They turned a corner as Damon responded, "Believe it or not, you helped me."

Elena shot him a bewildered look and questioned, "How did I help you?"

A weak smile played along the edges of Damon's lips as he answered, "Your blood does something to me. It stretches my limits and combined with the skills I already possess, I've become one hell of a force to be reckoned with."

They turned another corner and headed down a darker corridor as he continued, "Klaus held a bit of difficulty since he's so much older than myself, but apparently age is no match against our combining forces."

Elena swelled with pride at the notion that she had aided Damon in rescuing her. He had once again thrown himself into the line of danger to save her and it was nice knowing that she had somehow repaid him a bit. She let a smile reveal exactly how pleased she was at hearing his information and said, "Well, I'm glad I could help."

They had just managed to turn another corner in the labyrinth of passageways when a figure came into focus. The figure was standing at the end of the corridor where it intersected with another making the shape of a T. The light supplied from the candles was dim and Elena was having a hard time making out who was blocking their passage, but the way Damon's eyes narrowed gave her every indication that it was not an ally.

Elena jerked to the side as Damon twisted around to glance back at the direction they had just traveled from. He let out a groan and muttered, "They're gaining on us," before heading in their original direction towards the figure.

As they got closer, Elena was able to make out the woman standing before them. Her insides clenched as the female vampire's voice pierced her ears. "You are so fucking stubborn! This didn't need to happen, Damon, but you have left me no choice. All I wanted was for us to be happy and instead you choose her." She threw her hand into the air and pointed at Elena with disdain written all over her face. "Her of all people!"

Damon tightened his grip around Elena's cradled body and exasperated, "I don't have time for this, Katherine!"

The female took a small step forward and mused, "You're right; your time is almost up. It's going to be excruciatingly painful killing you since I care for you so deeply, but you've taken away any chance for another option." Katherine then cracked her knuckles and asked, "Any last words before you die?"

Elena once again turned with Damon as he glanced back at the other end of the passageway. She wasn't sure if Damon planned on supplying Katherine with a response, but she never found out. Because as his body twisted back towards Katherine, a small flash became visible from behind the corner on her left side.

The ray of light came in contact with Katherine's body and exploded on impact. Heated light engulfed the corridors and Elena and Damon's bodies were blasted backwards. The overwhelming heat was unbearable and the last thing Elena felt was Damon's arms wrapped protectively around her as her world went black.

* * *

_**Please Read and Review! :)**_

**As a side note: Sorry if you receive story alerts and received an email for this chapter twice. Someone pointed out that I accidently used Elijah's name during the fight scene instead of Klaus' and I couldn't let that stay. My OCD self had to fix it.**


	12. Chapter 12

**The latest episode of TVD has left me in a really bad state of mind. And I mean, _REALLY BAD_! Once again, I find myself pissed at the writers for driving a wedge between the couple we have all been waiting anxiously to see come together and the idea of them ever believably uniting just doesn't seem possible to me anymore; at least not anytime soon. I tried writing about it and that helped a bit, but I still haven't entirely been able to shake myself from this downward funk.**

**So, why am I informing you all about my crazy emotions and the pathetic way they have seemed to attach themselves to this show? Well, because I'm not particularly proud of this chapter and I blame any defects on my morose attitude. I tried to repair any portions where those emotions seeped in, but pieces of it still feel disconnected. Perhaps it is just me being overly critical since I have a tendency to be that way, but just in case it isn't... I wanted to warn you all ahead of time.**

_**Now that everyone has been properly warned... please enjoy. :)**_

* * *

Damon pushed the fallen chunks of stone off of his back and lifted himself slightly from the ground and Elena's body. When the explosion had rocketed their bodies backward, he had encompassed Elena within his arms and wrapped his body around hers as protectively as possible. They had still been soaring through the air when he had made the decision to spin around; allowing his body to absorb most of the flaming heat instead of Elena's fragile one.

As he examined her body now, it pained him to see that despite his best efforts, portions of her skin had already begun to blister. The burns along her calves could have been much worse without his protection, but it did little to ease his building panic.

He then reassuringly saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest and heard the subtle rush of air as it made its way in and out of her lungs, but Elena's eyes remained shut. In an attempt to wake her, he placed his hand against the side of her face and whispered, "Elena," but she made no movement.

Before Damon had time to further his attempts at reawakening Elena, footsteps sounded at his back. He quickly spun around and slammed the intruder against the wall, but his face relaxed as Caroline stared back at him. Part of him wanted to ask her what the hell she was doing there, but he didn't have the motivation to dwell on it with Elena in the current state she was in.

So, he let out a sigh and removed his tight hold on Caroline before making his way back to Elena. He ran his hand delicately through a few strands of her hair when Caroline appeared at his side. Her voice was weak and laced with fear as she asked, "Is she alive?"

Damon nodded his head slightly before Caroline spoke up again. "And Klaus?"

This time Damon managed to find his own voice. Never removing his eyes from Elena and her fragile state, he answered, "No; and neither are his guards."

The confirmation of Elena's health must have managed to pull Caroline out of her previous heaviness because her playful demeanor resurfaced. "Wow, I'm actually impressed. I knew you were skilled, but I guess I highly under-rated your abilities."

At another time Damon would have laughed at Caroline's assessment of his skills, but right now his heart felt like it was splitting in half. Although Elena was alive, she appeared as lifeless as ever against the stone floor of the corridor. He just needed her lids to part and for those chocolate orbs to reappear assuring him that his bad feeling regarding her life had been just unsettled nerves. But they remained closed as Damon scooped her frail body into his arms.

He lifted himself into a standing position before turning towards Caroline with eyebrows lifted in suspicion. "I thought you couldn't bring yourself to help a werewolf. So what are you doing here?"

Caroline shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Apparently she's not a werewolf yet or else I'd hear that accelerated heartbeat I've become so accustomed to." She then rolled her eyes and sighed before adding, "Besides, I couldn't stand back and have you kill yourself without at least offering my assistance. You're a stubborn asshole, but you're the closest friend I have."

Damon let a weak smile lift the edges of his lips upward as he said, "Thanks, Caroline. And if it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't be able to sit back and watch your ass die either."

Caroline's eyes refused to meet his and instead drifted to the floor. There was a vulnerability to her as she confessed, "I know _this_ you would, but I'd like to think your old self would have too."

She then waved her arm through the air in order to remove the seriousness nature that had settled through the air. "But enough with this crap." She lifted the bow and set of explosive arrows into the air and stated, "I think these belong to you."

Damon's eyes widened at the appearance of his weapon. "How did you," he started to question before Caroline interrupted.

"You left them in my room, dumbass." She rolled her eyes and suggested, "You might want to keep a better hold on these if they're as important as you say."

Damon hadn't focused his attention on figuring out the source of the explosion due to Elena being his top priority. But everything made perfect sense now and Damon didn't attempt to hide the awe in his expression as he assessed, "So that explosion was _your_ doing?"

Caroline placed her free hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side as she smugly admitted, "Sure was. I figured they were just your standard set of arrows, but then the blast shot me backwards. Those suckers are powerful and honestly I can't believe the corridor didn't collapse from that magnitude of an explosion."

Damon finally let his eyes stray around the corridor for the first time and discovered Caroline was correct. There were scattered chunks of rock along the floor and missing pieces from the ceiling and walls, but miraculously, for the most part, the sturdy structure had held up.

Damon's eyes were still flashing around the corridor as Caroline asked, "How did you get your hands on something like this anyway?"

But before Damon had time to answer her question, Elena began to stir in his arms. He looked down and saw an uncomfortable look on her face as her eyes fluttered open. Seeing her awake sent a tsunami of relief crashing through his body and he wanted nothing more than to tighten his grip and lift her up to him, but figured it best not to. Her expression revealed that she was in more than enough pain without him adding to it.

Through heavy lidded eyes, Elena looked up at him and muttered, "My legs are stinging."

He knew it wasn't appropriate, but the joy at seeing her alive and awake was too powerful and he couldn't fight the low laugh that emanated from within his chest. Instead of lifting her up towards him, he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I tried my best to protect you from the fire, but it got a portion of your legs. Don't worry, as soon as were out of here we'll fix you up."

Elena smiled weakly back at him and teased, "Will there ever be a time when you don't need to protect me?"

Damon shot her his million dollar smirk and replied, "Probably not, but then again there will never be a time when I stop _wanting_ to protect you."

Then Caroline's head flashed before Damon's. She looked down at Elena to make her presence known and said, "Hey, don't forget about me! Without me you'd still have Katherine standing in your way." She then nodded her head up and down with a smug expression on her face. "That's right; I told you I'd kill the bitch."

Damon felt Elena laugh against his chest and the sensation was incredible. After going through such an event, he hardly assumed Elena's spirits would be high enough to laugh. But there she was, proving how strong she was; yet again.

As Elena's laughter subsided, Damon motioned his head in Caroline's direction and informed, "Apparently, someone couldn't help herself and had to get involved. So you can blame her for the explosion and burns on your legs."

He then shot Caroline a smile to show how much he was behind her decision and how little it mattered that the skin of Elena's legs had become collateral damage in the process. Typically, Caroline being the cause of Elena's wounds would have sent him into a terrible rage, but considering the circumstances he actually found himself thankful for the vampire's actions. The situation could have been much worse without her help.

And apparently Elena felt the same way he did about her situation because she let out a low cough and said, "Thanks, Caroline. It's good to have you on the team again."

Caroline's face lit up and a wide grin slid across her lips as she responded, "It was nothing, but I have to tell you…"

The vamp stopped mid-sentence and Damon knew exactly why. He had been so preoccupied with Elena's fate that he had completely forgotten what they had originally been running from. And now the heavy footsteps echoing through the end of the corridor once again brought the threat of their situation to the front of his mind.

Caroline's head jolted to the side as she listened to the same footsteps. She then placed an arrow into the bow and ordered, "You guys go. I'll take care of this and meet you at the main gate."

Damon was about to protest when Caroline assured, "I'll be fine and with your high tech weapon, they won't be able to touch me. Now go!" She then pushed them in the direction away from the oncoming soldiers.

Damon took one last look and saw Caroline poised and ready to strike. The female was lethal and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would see her at the gate. So, as he took a step over Katherine's still singing lifeless body he yelled back, "Don't get yourself killed," before he turned and headed down a new corridor.

* * *

Elena wasn't sure if it was Damon's supernatural speed or an after-effect of being knocked out, but she was having a difficult time keeping objects focused. They were weaving in and out of passageways so quickly that everything just became one dark blur as they passed. Thankfully, it appeared as though Damon knew where they were going and it was this notion that settled Elena's nervous nature.

They had just started descending their fourth, or perhaps it was their fifth, flight of stairs when Elena couldn't keep quiet anymore. "Where are we going?"

Damon kept moving downward as he answered, "The dungeon. It's the easiest way out and we're going to grab Demetra on the way."

Although Damon wasn't looking down at her, Elena shot him an incredulous look. She didn't bother to hide the disappointment in her voice as she questioned, "The witch?" It wasn't that Elena didn't like Demetra, it was just that the witch's cryptic ways rubbed her the wrong way. She had already been through enough and Elena wasn't excited about dealing with the headache that was sure to come after interacting with her.

Damon still didn't look at her as he responded, "Of course the witch. Without her, who knows what would have happened to us! And besides, you should really lighten up on her; she's the whole reason I took the leap of faith and confessed to you how I felt."

Elena wasn't sure if Damon registered exactly what he had just admitted and it was tearing her insides apart that she couldn't see his eyes. Unfortunately, those very eyes kept looking forward as they ran down another corridor.

She pulled her fingers inward and clenched her hands into fists in an attempt to keep herself under control. But despite her best efforts, her blood pressure rose to an extraordinary level and she heatedly questioned, "Did you only tell me you loved me because the witch told you to do so?"

Elena swayed forward as Damon stopped abruptly. She felt nervous not moving and struggled within his hold to look over his back at the direction they had just come from. There was no one following them, but she didn't feel comfortable standing in one place when they were supposed to be escaping.

She squirmed underneath of him one more time, but when his paralyzing eyes met hers, she felt nothing but ease. He appeared wary and almost vulnerable as he dwelled into her and confessed, "I was only joking, but please listen to me. Demetra _did_ tell me to be open with you, but I told you how I felt because it was the truth. The only reason I didn't tell you sooner was because I thought doing so would jeopardize your life."

Elena knew she was being ridiculous, but just this morning Damon had promised to never keep anything from her again. And the fact that in less than a day he had managed to break that promise stung the inside of her chest. She knew this wasn't the time or place to hash out their problems, but Elena couldn't help herself. "Then why did you leave that out while you were recapping your conversation with her?"

There was obvious frustration laced in his voice as Damon answered, "Because I hadn't told you how I felt yet and I didn't want that to be the way I did." He then softened his tone as his ice blue eyes penetrated into hers. "Elena, I love you. Trust me when I say that even if Demetra hadn't pushed me to tell you, I would never have been able to keep that from you. You do believe me, don't you?"

"Of course I do." She shook her head slowly back at forth at the audacity of believing otherwise. She then swept her hand through her hair as she explained, "I'm sorry, but I'm just a little on edge right now."

A weak smile played on the corner of Damon's lips before they, once again, began moving forward. "That's understandable considering everything you've been through. But if you keep yourself together for just a little while longer, I promise to make it worth your while when we get out." He then glanced down at her and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

The idea of once again experiencing _that_ act with Damon had Elena's insides swooning. Of course it would be difficult considering the current state of her legs, but there was nothing that could keep her from re-experiencing the sensation of Damon inside of her.

She felt her skin tingle in premature anticipation as Damon finally slowed his forward pace. They settled into a standard walk as they made their way into the dungeon. The guard on duty came into view and he was fiddling with something in his hands. He didn't look up to greet them, but instead kept his attention downward as he asked, "Do you know what's going on up there?"

They both remained silent as they anxiously waited for the guard to glance up at their direction. When he did, his eyes became wide and his hand stiffened around his keys. At the sight of the startled guard, Elena glanced up at Damon and noticed the cocky smiled that had spread across his lips.

Damon lowered himself and set Elena lightly on the ground as he slowly stated, "I'm going to need those keys from you. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

The keys rattled in the guards hand as a result of his trembling. At first, Elena feared she would have to witness another fight between Damon and his opponent, but then the guard shook his head and made his way over.

He lifted the keys into the air and dropped them into Damon's awaiting hand. As soon as the keys landed in his palm, Damon stretched out his free hand and drove it straight into the guard's chest.

The guard stared at him with terrified eyes as Damon explained, "Unfortunately, I don't trust you enough to keep you alive and my cargo is too precious to let you go running off to your fellow comrads. I really hope you understand." He then ripped his hand back out of the guard's chest clutching another black heart.

He dropped it on the floor before making his way over to scoop Elena up once again. She was genuinely surprised how little effect another death had on her mental state, but rolled her eyes at his macho behavior and chastised, "Was that really necessary?"

Damon shrugged his shoulders causing Elena to lift slightly up and down in his arms, as he nonchalantly responded, "He was too much of an unknown liability. You hang around with me long enough and you'll get used to it."

Elena let her head rest against Damon's chest and muttered, "What's sad is that I already have."

She felt his chest vibrate against her head as he released a laugh in response to her comment. They then made their way to the door and he handed her the keys. She looked up at him quizzically and asked, "Why are you handing these to me?"

He glared at her in a way that expressed how adorable he thought her ignorance was, which made he feel both powerful and moronic at the same time. "I can't exactly unlock the door if both of my hands are carrying you. If you want me to throw you over my shoulder I can, but I doubt that will feel very comfortable on your legs."

She swatted her hand playfully against his chest and asked, "Which one is it?"

He lifted his index finger up over the edge of her side and pointed at a worn brass key. "This one."

Elena hesitated for just a second, not sure if she was ready to come face to face with the witch Damon had described as un-nerving, before she gave in and extended her hand towards the door.

* * *

Elena inserted the key and twisted the brass until Damon heard the mechanism click. She went to reach out and push open the door, but in an attempt to keep her as still and comfortable as possible, he inched the door open with his foot.

The room was dark and Demetra was located in her standard corner in the back of the cell. This time, the room was illuminated in a light blue color and Damon couldn't help but get the feeling that the color represented Demetra's current state of mind. If that were the case, it couldn't be good. Blue represented sadness, despair, melancholy and every other low emotion Damon couldn't come up with on the spot.

But then Demetra's face twisted upwards, showing them the respect she so often held from Damon in his presence, and her eyes transitioned into a glowing pink. The witch smiled her crooked smile and welcomed, "Elena, it's nice to finally meet you."

Damon looked down at the girl in his arms. He caught the shock on her face before it transitioned into a deflective cold front. He knew the image of Demetra would have left her with an unsettling feeling at first, but he hadn't expected it to wipe as cleanly away as it had. Her face now possessed narrowed uncertain eyes that portrayed exactly how weary she was about trusting the witch and Damon couldn't have adored her more for it. Even in the face of someone as powerful as Demetra, Elena still held her ground with an intense fire that was unmatched by anyone else.

"Oh darling, I knew you were feisty, but it's really in your best interest not to glare at me the way you are." The witch then lifted her gaze to Damon and ordered, "Bring her over and I'll heal her legs."

Damon gave Elena a reassuring squeeze before he settled her beside Demetra. He attempted to lift himself into an upright position, when Elena's hand quickly latched onto his. The action was so simple, but it was more than enough to make his non-beating heart expand a few sizes in his chest. He hated how fragile she was, but there was nothing more satisfying than being able to offer his support, except Elena wanting it in the first place.

So Damon gave in to what Elena wanted and took a seat next to her as Demetra began her work. The witch slowly ran her hand over the top of Elena's leg as she chanted out words in a language that Damon couldn't understand. The healing process took a few short seconds before he could already see the results. The blisters had vanished and the enflamed redness of Elena's burnt skin started to transition back into its normal olive color.

There wasn't much that impressed Damon anymore, but Demetra's ability to heal the girl of his affection had left him mesmerized. He was still following the movement of the witch's hand when she finally spoke in a language he could comprehend. There was the subtle undertone of a threat as she stated, "I thought I told you never to visit me again, Damon."

Damon didn't lift his eyes to meet Demetra's because he already knew hers wouldn't be focused on him. So instead, he ignored the threat and let out a soft chuckle as he replied, "I'm not really great with following orders. We're here to rescue you, but of course you already know that."

After finishing with Elena's legs, Demetra began examining the remainder of her body. "I do, and it's solely because of your good intentions that I have decided not to revoke my gift. Well that, and the fact that you managed to kill my deserving past husband."

Damon saw the corner of Demetra's lips lift upward into a satisfied grin before they instantly fell again. Her serious undertone once again resurfaced as she continued, "But your efforts are for nothing; I will not be coming with you."

Elena shot him a worried glance before Damon turned his attention on the witch. "Don't be foolish. I'm here to offer you my help the same way you have done with me; just perhaps a bit less discretely."

Demetra lifted her finger into the air and shook it back and forth as she reminded, "You seem to have forgotten I am physically trapped in this cell under another witch's power."

Damon felt helpless. He felt guilty leaving Demetra behind after everything that she had and surely would be doing for him in the future. Certainly there had to be some way to remove her from this unfortunate circumstance.

The witch must have seen the inner struggle registering on his face because she finally lifted her eyes to meet his and reasoned, "Rest assured; it is my time to pass. I have taken you as far as I can, but Bonnie will be waiting for you on the outside."

Damon figured he should have known who the witch was talking about, but nothing came to mind when he racked his brain of their past conversations. "Who's Bonnie?"

Demetra shook her head back and forth at his question. She appeared slightly agitated as she answered, "You already know who Bonnie is."

Elena's hand grasped onto his shoulder and she said, "It's her niece, Damon. Remember, you told me that her niece would be waiting if I left?" Of course he remembered that, but he had assumed that since Elena wasn't escaping alone that no one would be waiting for her on the outside.

His mind was still trying to comprehend the fact that an ally was waiting for them once they escaped when footsteps echoed through the corridors. More soldiers were on their way and Damon knew their time was running out, but he needed clarification that Demetra's statement had been the truth. There was urgency in his voice as he asked, "So your niece will still offer her assistance even if I leave with Elena?"

The witch shrugged her shoulders and mocked, "It appears that way now doesn't it?" He was sure that Demetra knew there were soldiers on their way, but her nonchalance was proving quite the opposite or that she wasn't worried altogether.

Damon really wanted to spend more time hashing out the details of what their future held, but the footsteps signified just how close the soldiers had gotten. They were merely a few corridors away from the dungeon already and there was simply no time left. So he lifted himself from the ground before pulling Elena once again up into his arms.

He started to turn around when Elena ignored his move and questioned, "How will we find Bonnie?"

They didn't have time for this, but the question had been a decent one and Damon couldn't resist hearing the answer. So he turned back around to face Demetra as she responded, "Don't worry about that. Bonnie has her ways of tracking you down and she'll be more eager to fill you in on what's in store."

Damon could hear that the soldiers were just outside of the dungeon entrance, so with one last nod in Demetra's direction he headed for the door. He was just about to exit when Demetra spoke up again. "Don't push…"

But Damon interrupted before the witch could finish. He turned around and did his best to keep the irritation from his voice as he spat out, "Thank you for everything. I really appreciate it, but we don't have time for this!"

Demetra waved her hand through the air and assured, "There's no need to worry about the soldiers."

He was about to refute her argument, but the sounds of running footsteps were close enough for even a mortal's ears to take in. And Damon's assessment was confirmed when Elena frantically began to squirm against his chest in order to get a better view of the dungeon hallway leading to Demetra's room.

Following her lead, Damon took a nervous glance down the hallway. He let out a groan as bodies flooded around the corner into their direction. The door they needed to exit through was located at the other side of the dungeon and panic surged from within as he realized they were trapped. It wasn't that he was insecure about his abilities, it was just that there were entirely too many for him to take on at one time. But there was nothing he could do now other than give it his best shot.

He gave Elena a quick squeeze and she jumped out of his arms in understanding. Her chocolate eyes expressed how nervous she was for him before she leaned in and quickly brought her lips to meet his. Damon wanted nothing more than to continue the moment and pretend the soldiers weren't breathing down their necks, but he couldn't. So he pulled back and ordered, "Stay next to Demetra," before he charged out into the hallway.

He had prepared himself for a full on battle, but apparently the preparation had been for nothing. The mass of soldiers were plastered against an invisible barrier a few feet from the entrance of Demetra's cellar. There were easily twenty of them fighting to pass the invisible wall, but every time they charged in his direction their bodies smashed against it.

Damon couldn't help but gawk at the wall of frustrated soldiers piled against nothing in plain air. And he had yet to pull his eyes away from the image when Demetra's smug voice broke the silence. "I told you there was no need to worry about the soldiers."

He lingered in the hallway a second longer, marveling the abilities the witch possessed, before he stepped back into the cell. Demetra's eyes were focused on nothing in particular and they had ignited the fiercest shade of burnt orange. The image was breathtaking and Elena's expression revealed she was exactly as impressed as Damon found himself to be.

He shook his head slightly in disbelief as he questioned, "I thought you were trapped in here. How did you do that?"

Demetra's eyes never left the spot they were focused on as she mused, "Just because I'm physically trapped in this cell doesn't mean I'm mentally trapped."

Of course she wasn't. How would she have been able to read everyone thoughts throughout the entire castle if her powers were restricted to the confines of her small cellar? Damon felt like a fool for once again underestimating exactly how powerful this witch was, but it was Elena who found her voice first.

She took a step towards the focused witch and asked, "Can you help us escape if your powers extend further than these walls?"

For the first time since Damon had met the witch, Demetra's lips lowered into a frown. "I can hold these soldiers for a little while longer, but there are obstacles you must overcome on your own. Though, in order to succeed, you must leave now."

Damon heard Elena's weak sigh before he made his way to her side and took her hand in his. She shot him a smile that didn't reach her eyes and he knew why it hadn't. Leaving Demetra behind didn't settle well in his stomach either, but there was clearly nothing the two of them could do. Demetra would fall because there was no way her defiance against the vampires would go unpunished, but she appeared ready to embrace her fate.

Realizing that he was wasting precious time reflecting on circumstances that he couldn't change; Damon started to guide Elena towards the door. Before he had closed the distance between their bodies and the exit, he felt the need to turn around and declare, "No matter what you have prepared for us in the future, we won't let you down." It didn't seem like nearly enough, but it was the most he could offer.

With Elena's hand still resting in his, Damon motioned her through the door. He had just breached the surface when Demetra's voice spoke up yet again. "You may think that you're almost through, but there is still quite a lot before everything is settled and over."

Damon didn't turn around because he knew Demetra's eyes wouldn't meet his, but he nodded his head in understanding and he was sure the witch had seen the gesture. He then finally took the last step so that he was settled outside of her cell and turned to face the wall of angry soldiers.

The invisible wall began to move as the soldiers slid to the side of the corridor and against the wall allowing Elena and him a pathway to their exit.

Damon squeezed Elena's hand before he turned to face her. Her eyes were glistened over in a way that only pure magic could evoke and she was smiling from ear to ear. He returned the smile that was plastered across her face and asked, "Are you ready?"

She nodded her head and answered, "Absolutely," before they started running towards the exit door.

Once there, Damon removed his hold on Elena and swept her up into his arms as he explained, "We'll be faster this way."

Elena shook her head in understanding as the pile of soldiers behind them crumpled to the ground signifying the fall of Demetra's wall. Damon quickly kicked open the door and stepped through into the surrounding city as the witch's instructive voice pierced through the hallway. "It's up to you now. And don't force Caroline to make a decision she isn't ready for. It's not her time yet."

Instinctively, Damon swung back at the mentioning of Caroline's name, but he wasn't fast enough. He caught a glimpse of the charging soldiers who had managed to settle back onto their feet as the door slammed shut. Damon knew it was foolish, but he pulled on the door in an attempt to get some clarification about Demetra's statement regarding Caroline, only to find the door sealed in place.

He set Elena's feet on the ground before he once again resumed his methods of opening the door. However; his attempts were useless and the door refused to budge. Banging sounded from the other side and Damon knew he should have felt relief. The guards were obviously locked inside, but it also meant that he and Elena were now trapped outside of the castle.

Of course this was exactly where they had originally wanted to be, but Demetra's statement about Caroline had left Damon with a bad feeling in his gut. He had no idea what the witch had meant when she said it wasn't Caroline's time yet, but he couldn't ignore the feeling that it signified his only friend would be staying behind.

* * *

_**Please Read and Review! :)**_


	13. Chapter 13

**I just wanted to thank everyone that has taken the time to leave a review or multiple reviews for this story. I seriously needed it last post and you all really helped me regain my faith in this pairing. Your kind words couldn't be appreciated more. **

**After the last chapter was posted, quite a few people asked me when Elena's transformation was going to happen. I know the days have been extremely drawn out and confusing in the story, so I figured I'd just update you all on the timeline. Elena's transformation is scheduled to happen the next night at midnight. It is the first moment of her 18****th**** birthday. Also, at this point, werewolves do not need to kill in order to transition. A gene gets triggered when they turn 18 and from then on out, they have the ability to change at will.**

**Also, this escape has transcended much longer than I had originally anticipated, but I was having so much fun writing it that I just couldn't stop myself. So once again, there is a ton of action included.**

_**Please enjoy!**_

* * *

"Damon, we have to go!" Elena whispered urgently as she pulled on his shoulder. The vampire was acting like a crazed lunatic and she understood why. Demetra's statement regarding Caroline wasn't settling well with her either, but beating against a door that held a handful of enraged guards on the other side didn't seem like the best way of handling it.

They were in the heart of a city crawling with vampires and although none had stepped out of their houses, the loud bangs were sure to have awakened at least a few of them. But apparently this wasn't a concern of Damon's because he shrugged her off and continued his methods.

Elena was at a loss for what to do. They needed to keep moving; this she knew. Demetra had made it very clear that in order to succeed they needed to leave now, but Damon had shut her out and she had no idea how to get through to him. So she did the only thing that her mind could muster up. She reached back and slapped him across the face. It probably wasn't the smartest option considering he was an enraged and desperate vampire, but she knew it would gain his attention.

And it had. He turned on her with eyes as black as coal and veins streaked across his face. His fangs protruded down past his upper lip and he was seething anger. The image was terrifying and for the first time, Elena actually found herself horrified of the monster crouching before her. But within an instant, the demon submerged leaving only the Damon she recognized.

His face portrayed every bit of frustrated agony she felt seeping into her chest and her arms wrapped around him in response. She whispered, "I'm sorry," as she felt his body mold against the curves of her front, absorbing all of the support she was offering.

His hold tightened as he weakly declared, "I won't leave without Caroline."

"We don't know that we'll have to. She's meeting us at the front gate so that has to mean she's coming with us." Elena knew that the reassuring words had been for herself as well as Damon, but it had little effect towards easing her worries.

Damon pulled back just slightly and countered, "If she makes it."

Elena masked her fears with the best optimistic strong front she could manifest and assured, "She will. She has our weapon and you know better than I do how well Caroline can handle herself. She'll make it, Damon; I know she will."

Damon shook his head back and forth and he appeared to be crumbling right before her very eyes. "We can't leave her behind, Elena. It's hard enough leaving Demetra behind and we hardly knew her. We can't; I won't…" His voice trailed off as his emotionally clouded eyes fell to the ground.

Elena couldn't take it. She had lost everyone and the thought of losing Caroline on top of everyone else was just too much. She needed Damon's strength because surely she didn't have enough in her for the both of them. But she was losing him way too quickly and she desperately needed to get him back. He was falling apart and she needed his strength to get the hell out of this city because without it, they would surely fail.

So she pushed Caroline to the back of her mind and took a deep breath. She then latched her hands onto the sides of his face forcing him to look directly into her pleading eyes and stressed, "Damon, look at me. You can't fall apart. We're still not out and I can't do this without you. If you hold it together for just a little bit longer than I promise to make it worth your while - that's what you told me remember? And the same stands true for you. You stay with me and I will forever make it worth your while."

That seemed to have done the trick. Life flickered across Damon's eyes before they ignited with the same fire that had previously been vacant. He placed his hands on top of hers and insisted, "I'm with you."

And not a moment too soon, because vibrant, hollow tones began to fill the air. Elena had no idea what they signified, but she was positive that it wasn't anything good. Surely if Damon's bangs and their conversation hadn't woken everyone up, these noises had.

Damon maneuvered himself from her hold and his eyes darted around the top edges of the castle as he explained, "The gongs alert the entire city when a threat arises." He then grabbed hold of Elena's hand and started leading her along the side of the castle as he continued, "They've only ever been triggered once before."

She hadn't been present during the last triggering, but only one instance seemed crucial enough in Elena's mind to produce such a warning. "The werewolf revolt," she supplied out loud.

Damon nodded his head in confirmation and a smirk played along the edge of his lips. In no way did Elena share Damon's optimistic attitude towards their sudden background music. The gong's loud vibrations bounced off of the cobblestone houses and against her chest making the threat of their impending doom that much more of a reality and her hands started shaking in response.

As Damon guided her down a dark street, she felt his hand tighten around her trembling one. "Stefan told me the entire city panicked the last time these things went off. So you can only imagine what sort of response they are going to produce this time."

Right in sync with his comment, vampires began pouring from their houses and started flooding the streets. They weren't exactly moving at superhuman speed, but they were definitely in a hurry to get somewhere. Elena still didn't understand how their sudden change in situation could work in their favor. Vampires were surrounding them from all directions and she was beginning to feel more trapped by the minute.

A vampire nearly slammed into her shoulder, when Damon laced his arm around her waist and pull her against his side. She felt slightly more comfortable with their bodies molded together as one unit, but she could feel her heart beating frantically within her chest. Surely Damon could hear it, which meant other vampires could hear it, but she had no idea why he wasn't freaking out the same way she was.

Finally realizing that she could no longer handle being kept in the dark, Elena felt the need to express her concerns. "There is no way we can do this with this many vampires hanging around us. And why aren't they the least bit interested in the fact that I'm a human?"

Damon's confident smile remained plastered across his face as he replied, "I know that you can't tell, but there are humans everywhere, Elena." He pointed his finger to the left and added, "There's one and another… and another. This place is crawling with them."

She certainly hadn't noticed the humans, but the knowledge of their presence did little to settle her nervous nature. She still had no idea how Damon planned on escaping with all of these witnesses. "But I don't understand. How is this influx of people supposed to help us… you know? They're definitely going to see us when we reach where we're headed." She tried her best not to include words that would trigger any of the vampire's suspicions knowing full well Damon would understand what she was asking.

He lowered himself to the side of her ear, despite the fact that vampire's would easily still be able to hear and whispered, "Haven't you noticed that they're all moving in the opposite direction we are?"

How could she not have? Vampires were charging past them in all directions with fierce determination to get to where they were headed. A few eyes had glanced in their direction, but none lingered in a way that made Elena feel threatened. "Yeah, so?" She asked, but what she really wanted to ask was why they didn't seem to care about the opposite direction the two of them were headed in.

It didn't matter because Damon understood exactly what she was asking. "Well, no one is going to be at the gate because they're all going to gather around the front of the castle. That's where the announcement about someone's treachery will be given."

Suddenly everything started to make sense; including Damon's relaxed demeanor. There was no need to be on edge because no one knew who they were yet. They weren't the couple that had killed their king. They were merely someones; or better yet, Damon was simply another vampire commoner and Elena was simply his slave. But still, Elena had no clue how far they were from the entrance to the city and surely the announcement was about to be given. Soon they would find themselves in a much more dangerous situation than the one they were currently in.

The gong's tones transitioned into another hollow beat and the vampire's around them began moving at a much quicker pace. They were darting in and out of each other in an attempt to reach the front of the castle and Elena was having a hard time keeping herself on her feet. Thankfully, Damon's arm was there to keep her afloat and moving forward.

Soon vampires were literally everywhere, rubbing up against the side of her body as they maneuvered through the flowing mass. They were packed into the streets, lining themselves from one house to the next and Elena had never felt more claustrophobic. Damon's positive outlook on their current situation was beginning to look bleaker and bleaker by the minute, but still they kept moving forward.

Elena had just started to make out the break of heads in the distance when the gong's vibrations ceased. Silence settled over the crowded when Damon let out a low groan. He leaned into her and whispered, "It's starting," before she felt the air whoosh through her hair. Within an instant, she was lifted from the ground and settled in Damon's arms as they picked up their pace.

The mass of bodies morphed into a solid blur as they ran through them. Elena had no idea how Damon was doing it, but even in the congregation they hadn't managed to hit anyone yet. It was truly remarkable how agile her vampire was and Elena felt her pulse quicken; not from fear this time, but instead in adoration. It was incredible how even in moments like this; the world around them just seemed to cease existence.

But in reality it hadn't and they were still sprinting to escape when the blur of bodies surrounding them disappeared and opened into a bare street. Damon kept up his pace, but the structures surrounding them were further away and much easier for Elena's eyes to register. The cobblestone houses became smaller and finally converted into simple cottages when Damon settled into a steady walk.

Elena saw the surrounding wall of the city before her eyes landed on the entrance. And as they got closer, she took in the site of the aged stone as relief settled within her stomach. She then looked up at the beautiful vampire carrying her victoriously to their exit and whispered, "We made it."

Damon glanced down at her and shot her a smile that made her heart collapse in on itself before a hand latched onto his shoulder and pulled them into a dark alleyway.

* * *

"I know we were supposed to meet at the gate, but I couldn't exactly linger around the entrance with everything that's going on. That would have been a bit too obvious don't you think?"

Relief seeped through all of Damon's extremities as he took in the image of an unharmed Caroline. She was standing before them looking just as smug as ever with their weapon in hand and a piece of coral fabric laced through her arm. Any doubt Damon had previously held got swept away at the sight of her and he knew everything was going to be just fine. Caroline was safe and they'd all be heading away from this city and the impending danger it had lurking in its near future.

Damon and Elena were still regaining their bearings and had yet to form a response when Caroline shot them a quizzical look. She appeared slightly offended as she asked, "What's with the excited faces guys? Did you really have that little faith in me making it out alive?"

All Damon could do was laugh at her question because it was just so typical of Caroline, but Elena was the one who managed to formulate an actual response. "Of course not. We're just glad that everything went well. I mean, we had no idea how many guards were going to show up around that corner, but apparently they were no match for you."

Damon couldn't have approved of his girl's reply any more than he did. She already knew exactly how to handle Caroline while stroking her sensitive ego. The response had supplied a perfect exit out of a pretty sensitive situation he wasn't ready to tackle with his friend.

And Caroline seemed to have bought it because a satisfied smirk spread across her lips and she cocked her hip out to the side. "They _would_ have been no match for me. But as much as I'd love to own that destruction as my own, it was actually all this thing's doing."

She held up the bow and explosive set of arrows and shimmied them back and forth before continuing, "It seems that no one is a worthy opponent against whoever holds it; which is why I need to give it back to you. And I picked up a little something I figured you might be more comfortable in."

Elena took the fabric and examined it before her cheeks flushed the most enchanting color of pink. Her face revealed exactly how embarrassed she felt about her lacy attire before she draped the new dress over it.

Damon wasn't sure how the girl had managed to forget how revealing her outfit was, because he certainly hadn't. Up until this point its image had served as motivation to accomplish their goal. Motivation to locate themselves at a point where he could fully appreciate what the attire provoked and motivation to locate themselves as far away from the reason it had been placed on her in the first place.

"And don't forget this." Caroline insisted as she placed the bow and set of arrows on Elena's stomach as well.

Damon began to feel his nerves wind up in an unsettling way. He eyed Caroline suspiciously and asked, "Why don't you just carry it?"

Caroline's body slumped a little and she let out a soft sigh as she explained, "That's what I was trying to tell you before; I helped you this far because I couldn't bear the thought of you two getting hurt. But this is as far as I'm going. I'm not coming with you."

The words flowed from her lips like a poison Damon was only halfway prepared for. He had just begun to expect this response from her, but that didn't mean he had to accept it. He felt his anger towards her stupidity boil under his surface before it made its way into his voice. "I already told you that something's going to happen, Caroline. And I can't protect you if you stay."

She threw her arms into the air and countered, "Not everyone needs your protection, Damon. And I know that you're scared for me, but I can handle whatever's going to happen."

Damon didn't understand how it was possible for every female to possess this level of stubbornness. "I don't think you understand what I'm telling you. What happens will change everything. You could die, Caroline, and I'm not going to let that happen!"

The vamp crossed her arms defensively across her chest and declared, "Well that isn't your choice to make."

Damon made sure his desperation shined brightly from his eyes as he refuted, "It is when you're choosing wrong."

But his desperate attempt had little effect on swaying her decision. She uncrossed her arms and took a step closer to the pair. Her eyes wavered between the both of them hesitantly before she explained, "Look; I get why you're leaving, but I still don't accept it. Your love is unnatural and I'm not ready to accept that type of life yet."

There it was, the same word Demetra had used back in the dungeon. Yet; the only ray of hope that Caroline might actually survive whatever the future brought. But he wasn't going to embrace defeat that easily. He still had enough steam left to sway her misguided opinion of what was natural and what wasn't.

Then Elena's hand grasped onto his shoulder forcing him to glance down and meet her understanding eyes. He could still see the pain hidden behind them as she stated, "It's okay, Damon. You can't force her into anything she's not ready for."

Elena had recited the very words Demetra had spoken and he knew he should have listened to them, but he couldn't. There was no way in hell he was leaving Caroline behind to face whatever mess was sure to erupt. He wasn't going to leave her behind; he just couldn't.

And he was about to verbalize his very argument when Caroline spoke up instead. "I'll come find you both if my position on your situation changes."

Damon scoffed at her ridiculous attitude and refuted, "How will you ever be able to find us?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and replied, "We're trackers, Damon. I really doubt it's going to be that hard to follow the only set of vampire/wolf tracts that appear somewhere in the forest when she finally transitions. I know it's not going to be easy, but I have a life here that I'm not ready to sacrifice just yet. Right now this is where I belong."

There it was again, that damn word; yet. It echoed through his mind reminding him that Demetra already knew this would happen. She had warned him not to force Caroline into a decision she wasn't ready to make, but how was he supposed to leave her behind? Giving up and leaving her behind didn't settle well in his stomach, but the determination in his friend's eyes showed exactly how firmly she stood behind her choice. There was no possible way that he would be able to sway her opinion on the matter; and that hurt. It burned with the intensity of a thousand suns, but as Caroline had already pointed out, it wasn't his choice to make. It was hers and it had been made.

But there was still one angle he hadn't tried yet. It was so obvious that it was hard to believe Caroline hadn't already considered it, but he had to try anyway. "They're never going to let you live after everything you've done to help us out of here."

And then the sly grin Damon had already been reluctantly anticipating stretched across the vampire's lips; the grin that confirmed she had already considered this obstacle.

Caroline reached down towards a pile of logs nestled against the side of the cottage. She brought her hand back slightly and then smashed it through the largest of the precut fire suppliers. On impact, the log separated into four different pieces; one supplying Caroline with the perfect point on its tip.

Determination was radiating from the grey-blue of her eyes as she reasoned, "Everyone who witnessed my assistance in the corridor is dead. So, problem solved there." She then bent down and picked up the make-shift shaft and offered it to Damon. "And once you drive this into my stomach, it'll look like I tried to stop you from escaping. So problem solved here."

Damon's eyes glanced at the weapon and then back at the confidently satisfied vampire before him. She had figured everything out and there was no approach left in his mental storage to use as ammunition in this fight. Caroline had won, but to Damon it still felt like she was losing. And it was this feeling that forced him to ask just one more time, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Caroline nodded her head and replied, "It is," when the commotion of the enraged crowd sounded in Damon's ears. If the announcement hadn't already been concluded, then it certainly was about to be and that meant time was of the essence.

Elena jumped down from his arms, complete with the dress and weapon in hold, and nodded her head reassuringly. Damon tried his best to ignore the regret that had already begun sloshing within his stomach when he took the wood from Caroline's hand. He then let out an unnecessary breath of chilled air before he drove the stake into her gut.

* * *

Elena flinched as the wood became lodged in Caroline's stomach. It was obvious that Damon wasn't fully behind this decision and the pain etched across his features only made that apparent. Honestly, Elena wasn't completely behind the decision either. It didn't feel right, but somehow she knew it was.

Caroline winced and let out a high pitched groan as Damon removed his hands from the piece of wood now wedged in her stomach. She swayed momentarily before she regained her bearings and exhibited the impressive amount of strength all of her training had supplied.

The vamp let out another groan and opened her mouth to speak when everything began to shake. Elena felt like the city was going to come crumbling down around her when she finally managed to find her voice. "What's happening?"

Damon looked at her with panic-stricken eyes and quickly explained, "The announcements been given. What you're feeling right now is a thousand enraged vampires storming through the city looking for us."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, Damon's hand were around her waist lifting her into his arms. His eyes shot towards Caroline and Elena felt herself waiver a bit as Damon steadied himself under the pressure of leaving the vamp behind. His voice was fragile and laced with despair as he stated a simple, "Goodbye, Caroline."

The goodbye felt too rushed. Elena wanted to tell Caroline how much she appreciated everything the vamp had done for her and how in such a small portion of time she had really left an impression. But with the crowd of vampire's closing in, the only words she managed to get out before Damon took off towards the gate were, "I'll see you soon, Caroline." Because she couldn't let herself believe that this was the last time they would see each other. Caroline would come around; she _had_ to.

As they headed towards the main gate of the city, Elena finally allowed herself a moment to take in the last obstacle they had left standing in their way to the outside world. The heaven touching wall surrounding the city was composed completely of stone except for the main gates. Those were structured from wood and it was hard to believe that any trees were left still standing after its creation. The doors reached as far as her eyes could see and then some. They stretched into the clouds creating a solid barrier that brought a sense of dread crushing against her shoulders.

Elena had no idea how they were possibly going to get through the doors without wasting too much time, but it appeared Damon had a suggestion. They were still quite a distance away from the main entrance when he ordered, "I need you to aim an arrow at the base of the gate, Elena; right where the two come together. Once that arrow explodes, the weight from the top of the doors will cause the entire thing to come collapsing down."

She knew she had to of heard him incorrectly. Of course she assumed that something would have needed to be done to get through the doors, but she hadn't expected it to require anything from her. They were sprinting at such an accelerated speed that there was no possible way she'd be able to hit that mark.

She shook her head dismissively through the air and reasoned, "I can't do it, Damon. We're moving too fast."

Damon scoffed and refuted, "This is hardly peak speed and yes, you can. I taught you the basics and I'm sure you've refined your skills since then."

Elena _had_ refined her skills. The bow was easily her weapon of choice, but a shot like this was nearly impossible. She'd never be able to successfully hit that mark in a million years. "I can't unless you _slow down_."

But Damon wasn't accepting her request. Instead he stressed, "We don't have time for me to slow down. Their search party is just about to breach Caroline's location and once they get there we'll be in plain sight. You have to do it and do it now because as soon as they see us, we're going to have to speed up."

Elena grunted in frustration before lifting the bow from her chest. She then removed an arrow from the sack and placed it appropriately into the weapon. She pulled back the string and aimed towards the base of the gate. Although they were moving at an incredible speed, Elena found that Damon was managing to keep them remarkably steady; almost as if they were floating towards the door instead of running.

She appreciated the extra effort on his part, if his steady nature was even requiring an extra effort, and positioned the tip of the arrow slightly above her original aiming point. Elena felt the string strain against the pull of her fingers and took one last deep breath before she released it.

The arrow shot through the crisp air as Damon picked up his pace. The two guards positioned in rooms about halfway up the doors had just started to sound their alerting gongs when the arrow struck its mark. An explosion erupted from the base of the doors, consuming a large part of the wall in a spectacle of blazing light before a cracking moan shattered the air.

The doors slowly began to fall as their weight pressed down on their broken bases. They had only crumbled a little over 2/3rds of the way when Elena realized they were too close. The doors weren't nearly as far destroyed as she had anticipated and Damon was reaching closer to their bases every second.

Elena closed her eyes expecting Damon to smash through the remaining structure, when she felt her stomach fall. She opened her eyes, unsure of what to expect, and saw nothing but the dark clouds of a smoke consumed night sky. Instead of smashing through the remainder of the wooden doors, Damon had decided to launch himself over it and Elena truly felt like she was flying. She repositioned herself so that she could see the city behind them and from the dim lights the cottages supplied, she could clearly see that the streets were moving from the influx of vampires. From above, the mass looked like mesmerizing currents of water waving slowly in tune to the wind, but all too soon the image disappeared.

Elena's stomach now lodged itself in her throat as they free fell to the earth below. She resisted the urge to close her eyes, knowing full well that Damon had complete control of their fates as his feet settled onto the ground. He looked back for a brief moment at the destruction they had caused before he gazed at her. The moonlight illuminated his crystalline eyes and they were brighter than ever as they shined back at her.

She wasn't sure if it was their victory or the intoxicating appeal of his beauty, but she couldn't resist the urge to embrace the nature of the moment. So she crashed her lips against his and felt him respond with every ounce of building lust he possessed. With his hand gripped tightly around her cradled body, he whispered, "I told you that you could do it," before he crushed his lips back against hers and started sprinting into the heart of the forest.

* * *

_**Please Read and Review! :)**_


	14. Chapter 14

**This chapter is very much unpolished and has only been re-read once. I debated waiting to post, but because it's been my standard five days since my last update, I decided to just post it anyways.**

**Real life has seriously been getting in the way, which explains why I so rudely failed to respond to your reviews from last time. I'm sorry for that and will try to be a more appreciative writer this time; I promise! But as I was saying, real life seriously got in the way this week and I actually just found the time to write this chapter last night. I woke up at 1 o'clock in the morning and couldn't sleep, so instead of watching crappy late night tv I decided to just tackle it then. It's also a bit on the long side, but then again… aren't all of my chapters?**

**I must warn those that don't enjoy reading A/C that there is some in this chapter. I've been itching to include it and just couldn't help myself this time. The opportunity was just begging me to.**

_**Please enjoy!**_

* * *

Damon sidestepped another tree as it threatened to interfere with their course of motion. Half the night had expired as well as Elena's energy leaving him sprinting through the forest mentally alone. Considering the enhanced speed Elena's blood was still offering, he was sure any trailing vampires had long ago been left in the dust, but still he kept charging forward.

Elena had long ago fallen asleep in his arms and he made sure his steps were as fluid and graceful as possible. She had dealt with an unbelievable amount that day and so when her eyes began to droop, Damon had done everything in his power to offer her body the much needed sleep it required.

He knew this what her physically and emotionally frail body needed, but it had only left him time to rehash the day's events. They had somehow become set on replay as they manifested in his brain time and time again, supplying him with a twinge of agony each time Caroline's decision reappeared.

After reliving the moment about 50 times in his head, Damon had decided to switch off his emotions allowing him to revert into a machine. A machine built for one purpose and one purpose only; getting as far away as possible from the city of Tyrus and the vampires it housed. And this mentality worked for the most part. He had traveled one heck of a distance since they had breached the first trees of the forest and Damon had no intention of stopping anytime soon.

The chilled air sweeping through his hair felt marvelous as it also played with the ribbons of Elena's. Her dark satin strands ran across the bare skin of his forearm forcing tingles to grace the top layer. Damon finally allowed himself a glance at the sleeping girl cradled within his arms and felt all of his efforts at shutting off his emotions crumble.

Her forehead was pressed against his front and her lips were slightly parted as her chest rose and fell to the rhythm of her breathing. Her hair swept through the air giving her a sort of mystical innocence and Damon couldn't deny that she was absolutely breathtaking. Although, he had already experienced this vision of Elena over the past few days, it still managed to shock straight to his chest and reboot his non-beating heart.

She was just so captivating, pulling at his heart strings even in this state, and once again Damon found himself absolutely sure that she had never looked more beautiful. But then her lids slowly parted, almost as if she was challenging his assumption, and her dark chocolate orbs swept up to meet the contrasting light blue of his.

For a brief moment, Damon assumed she was still partially asleep, but then the edges of her lips lifted into a smirk and her heavy lidded eyes narrowed seductively. It was perfectly clear what Elena was craving and Damon scratched his earlier thought. When her innocence disappeared and she unleashed her determined passion in his direction; this was when she looked most beautiful. Her eyes were radiating lust and he felt his footwork falter slightly under her intensely determined gaze.

Damon wanted nothing more than to give Elena what she obviously wanted, but his mental reasoning won out over his body's desire. They were still running for their lives and despite their slight speed advantage, Damon wasn't willing to take any chances. So he shot her his famous grin and dismissively shook his head from side to side.

Her lips pushed out into a pout and Damon found himself laughing at her adorable expression. He _so_ wanted to give her what she wanted because his body was making it all too obvious that it wanted the same thing, but instead he urged, "It's not safe yet."

At his opposition, Elena picked up the weapon and coral dress from her stomach and repositioned herself in Damon's hold. The items were now dangling from her left hand behind his back and her legs were snaked around his waist. She was practically holding her own weight as she slid to rest against his already throbbing member.

The contact of her along his quickly hardening shaft was enough to send him toppling over in lust, but the sultry expression on her face resting less than an inch from his managed to make him falter. His knees buckled for a moment before he regained his bearings.

At his weakened display of resistance, Elena smirked before placing kisses along his jawline and making her way down to his neck. Her tongue swept out between her lips to make small circles on his icy skin leaving a trail of blazing heat along the path. She slowly worked her way back to his lips and paused just before they made contact. Her heavy lidded eyes peered up at him as she whispered in a heavy breath, "I think we're safe enough."

Damon could feel her warm breath against his anticipating lips and his blood seemed to boil just under the surface of his sensitively crawling skin. God, he wanted to give in to her, but they were completely out in the open and the fear of a stray vampire catching up to them played in the back of his mind. He wouldn't take that chance; even if it meant passing on this opportunity. So he mustered up all of his resistive will and stressed, "Elena, we…"

But that was as far as he got before her lips pressed against his; not passionately rough, but enticingly delicate. He felt her lips mold against his and painfully resisted the urge to reciprocate her movements. Then he felt the heavenly warmth of her tongue trace up the center of his bottom lip before she took it between her teeth.

The act was too much. Her essence was just too intoxicating and he couldn't resist anymore. Every worry he previously held vanished as he reached his hand up to cup the back of her neck pulling her into him. He inhaled deeply, relishing the way her fragrance meshed so perfectly with the scents the surrounding nature already supplied, and found himself wavering off course.

As Elena's tongue found its way to stroke against his, Damon swayed to the side and his hand landed on the nearest tree for support. His other hand gripped the lacy fabric on Elena's back and squeezed as his desire peaked to a new extreme. Every bit of his vampiric nature was screaming for him to throw Elena's back into the tree and slide himself inside of her, and typically he listened. But with Elena it wasn't about hurrying to reach the climatic finish line; it was about the entire experience.

He wanted to savor her, taste her, linger in the smell of arousal her body offered, but most importantly, he just wanted to absorb this memory of her. So he slowly stepped forward as her back landed against the tree and removed his arm from around her back. As their tongues continued their dance, Damon ran his hand along the side of Elena's body, echoing the subtle curves it created.

As his hand landed on the perfect divot of her hip, he felt Elena arch slightly as her weight pressed against the tree through her shoulders. Damon raised his other hand up just slightly enough for it to become tangled in the mass of luxurious strands at the base of her head as Elena's hips slowly began rocking back and forth against his front.

She moaned into his mouth as she continued the motion and Damon broke free in order to pay his attention to the remainder of her awaiting temple. He ran his fingertips across the top of her lacy attire before pulling it down and revealing her perfectly bare breasts. As he once again felt Elena's center slide down the length of his shaft, he took one in the palm of his hand and began caressing it with the utmost attention.

His lips found the hard peak of the other and he traced circles around it before concentrating on the center. With each flick of his tongue, he heard Elena's breathing quicken. And after a few switches between each breast, Damon couldn't hold out any longer. He couldn't handle the sensation of her against him without being inside of her.

So instead of wasting the time to remove their outfits, he simply adjusted them to allow entry. As he did, he felt just how wet Elena had already become and he resisted the urge to play with her before sex. The idea was alluring, of course, but honestly his dick was begging for insertion and he no longer had any remaining will for foreplay.

In one swift motion he slid inside of her hot center as a tremble rocked through his limbs. It hadn't even been a day since he'd experienced the sensation of being inside of Elena and yet his memory had forgotten just how incredibly fulfilling it felt. There really was nothing that compared.

Damon watched Elena let out a quick gasp as he slid completely inside of her. Her eyes rolled back as she enjoyed the pleasure he was providing and Damon involuntarily licked his lips in response. She was just so goddamn beautiful that he wanted to watch the ecstasy as it played across her face, but the static pull from her swollen lips was too powerful.

Giving in, Damon crashed his lips against hers as he started thrusting in and out of her core. She laced one arm around the back of his neck and the other around his hip as she pulled him further into her with each motion. He kissed her more roughly as their pace quickened and Elena once again released a pleasure filled moan in response.

In no time, Elena's heart pounded in her chest, revealing just how much she was enjoying the experience, as Damon drove himself in and out of her center. Her hand clung desperately to the fabric covering his back for support as her legs tightened around him. Her breathing quickened as she rocked in motion to his thrusts and Damon found himself quickly reaching his breaking point.

Elena slid perfectly along the sides of his shaft and he arched upwards to ensure contact with her special spot. As she started moaning his name, Damon knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be and tore his lips from hers. Her jagged breaths signified she was teetering that blissful edge as his fangs elongated and pierced into the delicate skin of her neck.

He drank her in as she continued to ride him and Damon felt all of her building arousal as it crashed in on her. Elena jerked against his chest, riding wave after wave of undiluted ecstasy as her inner walls tightened around him. The pressure they supplied as they encompassed his dick was astounding and with her blood trickling down the back of his throat, Damon felt himself shattering quickly after. He pumped into her until every last ration of his orgasm had seeped out before unlatching his fangs from her neck.

Damon then licked the area clean before he lifted his hand to cup the side of her face. She was practically glowing in giddy satisfaction as she stated, "I love you and I knew you couldn't resist, but wasn't it worth it?"

He let out a laugh as he inched his face forward. Damon brought his lips to hers before he once again pulled away and responded, "Without a doubt."

* * *

Damon had insisted they continue moving in an attempt to find a spot to rest. He had urged the importance of finding someplace hidden before sunrise knowing they were more easily spotted in plain daylight. Although, Elena had considered this a bit premature since the moon was still high in the black night sky, she had otherwise obliged.

Now, they were once again blazing through the lush forest. The surrounding nature whizzed past Elena's vision too quickly for her to register exactly what they were passing, but it didn't matter. Damon apparently had an idea of where they were heading and she had enough faith in his direction.

She felt completely comfortable now cradled in his arms with the wind rushing through her hair and the light fabric of her coral dress sweeping against her bare legs. It had felt amazing to change into it after being trapped inside of the restricting lace for so long and for a moment she regretted not thanking Caroline for the gesture.

Since their departure from Tyrus, Elena hadn't let herself dwell on the past or the future; knowing both would evoke unwanted feelings she wasn't ready to handle. But that slight mental mentioning of Caroline had them both front and center in her thoughts.

The realization that Caroline was no longer by their side sent a crippling sense of despair through Elena's bloodstream. She knew that the vampire wasn't dead, but it almost felt like she was. There was no certainty that she'd come back into their lives and any previous hope somehow now seemed absurd. Because even if Caroline miraculously decided to change her mind, they would surely travel too far for her to track them down.

Losing Caroline, on top of every single member her family consisted of, left Elena with only Damon. The way her pulse accelerated at the thought of him ensured her that he was more than enough to fill the hole they had left behind in her heart, but her future threatened to rip even him away.

For the last 4 days, Elena had done everything in her power to ignore the very scary reality that tomorrow evening would bring. But as her internal clock continued to tick towards her inevitable fate, it had become nearly impossible to ignore the looming threat anymore.

Tomorrow night she would transition into the werewolf she was born to become. Her entire life, Elena had actually wished the moment would hurry up and just happen, but now her stance on her own predetermined fate was exactly the opposite of what it always had been. She didn't want to transition and she sure as hell wasn't ready for it without the aid of another werewolf helping her through.

She had heard stories and witnessed first transitions in her past and none had been pleasant. After everything she had learned, one thing had stood out the most; the first time is unbearably drawn out and torturous. The thought of surviving through it on her own was terrifying, but what Elena found herself more nervous about was Damon's reaction when it happened.

He had proven his devotion to her time and time again; saving her from every threat that hovered around her. He had once again sacrificed his own life for the longevity of hers; giving up everything that he was. He loved her unconditionally in a way that should have constructed a steel cage of reassurance locking out any sense of doubt from creeping into her conscious. But none of the actions held up against the realization that until this point, she had simply been a human. Tomorrow she would be a different species entirely; one that Damon had destroyed for so many years, and the thought scared the hell out of her.

He had proven nothing but his allegiance since she had reentered his life, but tomorrow would force him to come to terms with what she actually was. It wouldn't simply be a concept floating in their future anymore. It would be reality; a reality that threatened to destroy the only emotional connection she had left. Or better yet, her only reason for existence. She wasn't ready to brace it just yet and felt her heartbeat unwillingly quicken in fearful anxiety knowing it would alert Damon to her hyperactive concerns.

Right on cue, Damon slowed his pace to a steady jog and looked down at her. Concern shadowed his brilliantly blinding eyes as he reassured, "We're going to be alright, Elena. I'm not going to let them catch us and I won't let anyone hurt you."

Of course he wouldn't. Damon loved her and despite everything their future held he would always protect her; even when she became a werewolf. Elena forced herself to believe this confident perception, but her doubts still remained. She wanted to voice them out loud, knowing her audience would be more than receptive to her concerns, but instead her fear forced her to respond, "I know you won't. I'm just worried about Caroline."

Damon nodded his head in understanding and stated, "I am too. Don't worry; I'm sure we'll see her again." Then his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he suggested, "Now why don't you tell me what's really bothering you."

Elena had always adored the way he could practically read her mind just by her expression or the rate of her pulse, but at the moment she couldn't appreciate the abilities their connection produced. She didn't want to talk about the apprehensions lurking in her mind, but it appeared Damon would settle for nothing less. If she lied, he'd obviously know, so instead she confronted the truth. "I'm worried about tomorrow."

Damon expression contorted in uncomfortable concern as he replied, "I know first transitions are rough. I've dealt with enough wolves in my days to know that, but you're strong and I'll be there to help you through it."

"I know you believe that but…" Her voice became slightly elevated as she confessed, "The pain isn't what I'm worried about. Well at least not the physical pain."

Elena let out a frustrated sigh as she tried to reign in her emotions. She knew Damon was trying his best to be supportive, but he didn't understand exactly what was fueling her worries. She hadn't wanted to discuss them with him, but now she found herself wanting him to confront them with her.

She tried to look directly into his eyes, but the weight of her confession forced them downwards as she said, "I'm worried that seeing me as an actual werewolf is going to force you to come to terms with what you've ultimately decided for your future."

To her surprise, Damon actually laughed. She knew it was only because he believed her idea was completely ridiculous. He hadn't meant it to be cruel, but it still felt that way until his hand touched the bottom of her chin and forced her eyes to meet his earnest ones. His voice was laced with sincerity as he declared, "Nothing will sway me from the decision I have made. Your transitioning into a werewolf will mean nothing more than the fact that you are no longer as fragile as you are now."

Elena found her head shaking dismissively through the air as she refuted, "I know that's easy to believe now, but it's very possible that after I transition your opinion of me will change." It broke her heart to hear her words spoken out loud knowing they were certainly a possibility.

But then Damon's lips lifted into an adoring smile. It was so warm and inviting that it was hard to imagine him ever looking at her without the same devotion. He leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips and assured, "You accept me for the soulless creature I am and there isn't a doubt in my mind that I will do the same for you; especially since your species actually have souls."

He shrugged at his attempt of a joke before he stopped his forward motion completely. Elena attempted to look around at their surroundings in fear his penetrating stare would be too much, but his hand kept her looking directly at him. His ocean blue eyes shined in dedication as he added, "Elena, I'm completely invested in you and your transition will have no effect on breaking that. I know you're scared, and that's understandable, but I'm not going anywhere."

As the words flowed from his lips, Elena found herself believing his commitment because she was just as deeply invested in him as he was in her. There were still a few clouds of doubt drifting around her mind, but his devotion to her was so genuine that she had a hard time registering their existence. Only time would tell whether Damon stuck around, but at the moment Elena was completely confident that her vampire wasn't going anywhere.

So she smiled up at him and prepared to confess the depths of her own attachment when a male voice interrupted first.

"I'm really sorry to break up this special moment you two are obviously having, but time is of the essence and I need to get you somewhere safe."

* * *

Damon recognized the voice immediately. He had heard it before, but couldn't actually put a face to the deep sound. That was until he tightened his protective grip around Elena and twisted his head to look at the boy. It was the male werewolf he had resisted killing the other night in the forest; the same one who had insisted that Demetra had made the right choice.

He felt Elena's eyes on the underside of his jaw as she stressed, "Damon..."

He gave her a reassuring squeeze and never took his eyes from the boy as he responded, "It's alright. I've met him before."

Damon wasn't sure how this boy from his past had managed to creep up on them without so much as a sound of crunching earth beneath his feet, but there was a more important question that needed to be addressed. "Who are you?"

The boy laughed at his question and Damon was surprised when he answered, "The names Tyler and I'm here to make sure you find your way to Bonnie."

Damon narrowed his eyes at Tyler. Although the kid seemed harmless enough, Damon had a hard time embracing trust. "What are you, her lap dog?"

Tyler rolled his eyes at Damon's insulting nature and sarcastically noted, "You are I are going to get along really well." The boy's shoulders shrugged slightly as he lifted his hand into the air and muttered, "I can see that you're not going to make this easy."

Damon smirked at the kid and replied, "Nope."

Tyler let out another sigh and explained, "Up until a few months ago, the only remaining family I had left was my uncle. That was, until a vampire killed him." His eyes narrowed as he stared at Damon and added, "Understand that I know exactly who you are and what you used to do, but I'm not holding it against you."

Damon scoffed and replied, "Thanks for the sob story, but I fail to see how it explains your involvement in us finding Bonnie."

Damon felt Elena swat his chest at his insensitive comment and momentarily felt bad; _momentarily_.

Tyler smiled at Elena's act before he continued, "Bonnie found me and offered me a place to stay as long as I helped her in return. The witch took me under her wing, which until recently I repaid by hunting for meals and keeping her garden tamed. Now that means I get to follow your ass around and make sure the two of you don't cause any more destruction on yourselves than you already have."

"I hardly recall causing any destruction on ourselves." Damon cocked his head to the side as he corrected, "Tyrus maybe, but not ourselves."

Tyler crossed his arms over his chest and appeared much too smug as he stated, "It's great to see her legs have healed nicely."

Damon let out a breath of air and wanted to rip the kid's heart out, but couldn't deny that he was right. "Point taken, but I still don't see why we need your assistance in finding Bonnie."

Tyler nonchalantly flipped one of his hands through the air and arrogantly said, "Well you don't really if you have faith in your ability of finding an invisible cottage."

After hearing Tyler's comment, Damon was actually about to reign in his deflective sarcasm when Elena jumped out of his arms and spoke up. "We'd really appreciate your help in getting us there."

He hated the fact that Elena had spoken for him, but it didn't last long. Honestly, he was about to speak basically the same words she had minus the unnecessary appreciative politeness. So instead of speaking his annoyance out loud, he simply took Elena's hand in his and prepared to follow the annoying, but necessary wolf.

"It's actually just over here." Tyler motioned his hand over his shoulder before a sly grin swept over his lips. "Yeah, I heard most of your conversation and tried to let you finish, but it just kept going and I had to get you moving again."

Damon saw the royal flush of red across Elena's cheeks and felt the need to speak up in defense, "You listened in on our conversation?"

Tyler looked back at them and shot Damon a satisfied smirk as he noted, "Sure did and honestly man, your words really got to me. You truly have a heart of gold."

The boy was mocking him and if he didn't have Elena's hand in his and they didn't need Tyler to seek out Bonnie, then Damon would have ripped the guy's head clean from his body. Instead he settled for muttering, "Next time I won't hesitate to kill you."

Other than a slight chuckle, Tyler ignored the comment and headed in the direction of the cottage. They only had to follow him for another couple of steps before the boy suddenly disappeared before them. At the image, Damon halted and felt Elena's hand slip from within his hold as she scurried ahead of him and disappeared into the night sky. Feeling panicked by the sudden disappearance of his girl, Damon charged after her until a small cottage appeared.

He felt nothing as he passed through the magical force field surrounding the witch's home and once again found himself marveling the power witch's possessed. He turned to look at the visible surrounding forest behind him before diverting his eyes back to the front.

Elena stood a few feet in front of him and he slowly walked to position himself by her side. She turned towards him with that all too familiar look of awe across her face and said, "I don't think the wonders of magic will ever stop impressing me."

Typically Damon would have replied honestly with something along the lines of, _I know what you mean_. But with Tyler still within hearing distance, he simply shrugged and smiled at her hoping she understood.

He grabbed onto Elena's hand and guided her around the garden outside of Bonnie's cottage as they made their way to the front wooden door. Smoke billowed from the stone chimney and with the scattered arrangement of flowers located around its base, the structure appeared quaint and inviting.

But Damon knew better. The invisibility shield Bonnie had constructed around her home was more than enough reason to believe that very few were actually welcomed in her presence, which made Damon momentarily consider what she saw in Tyler.

His thoughts were cut short as Tyler slid open the stone door of the cottage. Damon had been expecting a single room inside of the stone frame with barely enough space for four people to lounge comfortably, but he certainly hadn't expected what his eyes took in. The exterior of the cottage was incredibly deceiving and Damon figured some form of magic had been casted to create this effect. The inside was easily four times the size of what he had been expecting with segregated rooms for the privacy he had previously assumed wouldn't be available.

He let his eyes roam throughout the front room and adjoining kitchen before his eyes landed on the female sitting at the table. She was hunched over and made no attempt to greet them as another sob sounded from her direction.

Tyler made his way to her, wrapping his arm around the girl Damon assumed had to be Bonnie, and asked, "What happened?"

The girl slowly shook her head from side to side as she weakly declared, "Only what we knew would happen."

Understanding graced Tyler's features and Damon was beginning to get impatient. All of these depressing moments were starting to have an effect and he didn't have it in him to comfort anyone besides Elena tonight; well, not just tonight and more like ever. He took a step forward, about to make his and Elena's presence's known when he felt her arm stretch across his chest blocking him from moving forward.

He shot Elena a quizzical look and she responded with a slight cock of her head and a threatening expression that suggested how much she would make him pay if he spoiled the witch's moment. Damon rolled his eyes at Elena's kind nature, but otherwise obliged.

They stood there for a few awkward moments, before Bonnie wiped the tears from her eyes and finally turned to face them. Her eyes were bloodshot and her lips formed a tightly stretched line across her face as she lifted herself from the chair and took a few steps towards them.

Bonnie divided her attention between them both evenly as she explained, "Damon, Elena; please forgive me, but I've just received some devastating news. I know you both have questions, but they need to wait until tomorrow. In the light of a new day I will be able to offer you the answers you seek."

Damon really wished he had it in him to let Bonnie conclude the conversation at that, but he was tired of waiting and quite frankly his patience had always been limited. So he dropped Elena's hand and took a step forward as he refuted, "I don't know what news you received, but you need to understand that we've been following blind faith here. My patience is getting relatively thin."

Bonnie remained emotionless as she stared back at him. Her voice held the tinge of a threat as she insisted, "Tomorrow."

But Damon wasn't accepting that. He and Elena had been held in the dark for far too long and they deserved at least some sort of explanation. Ignoring the voice of reason in his head to cool his temper, Damon instead threw it towards Bonnie and shouted, "We've just ran through half of this forest to get to you. I think now would be a better time for those answers."

He hadn't realized he had been stepping forward until he was forced to stop dead in his tracks. A thousand tiny explosions began erupting inside of his head and Damon could focus on nothing but the pain. His hands shot up to its sides in an attempt to add pressure that would counter the pain, but it only increased his discomfort.

As Damon fell to the floor, crippled under the ache Bonnie was forcing on his skull, he vaguely heard Elena's shouting for it to stop. He then felt her arms wrap around his shoulders as the explosions ceased.

Damon heard Elena's staggered breaths as she examined his physical state, when Bonnie's voice filled the air. "I understand that Demetra chose you and you're frustrated. But honestly, so am I. I didn't ask for this and right now I don't have the energy to deal with it. We will discuss everything tomorrow."

Damon wanted to shout something stupid at the witch, but his head was still throbbing from the discomfort she had caused him and his eyes were beginning to feel heavy.

Just as Elena's concerned face appeared in his hazy vision, Bonnie's voice spoke up again. "I'm sorry, Elena, but I needed him to cool down and I can't take any chances."

He saw Elena's confused face rotate to the side as she asked, "What are you…"

But then the world around him became entirely too heavy and he just had to close his eyes. Unfortunately, as soon as they shut they failed to open again.

.

.

.

The sounds of earth crunching below someone's feet forced Damon to open his eyes. Elena's hand was wrapped across his waist and she was still sleeping peacefully beside him on the bed he had somehow been maneuvered to. He couldn't fight the smile that lifted his lips at the sight of her, but all too soon the outside sounds rattled him out of the euphoric state.

He slowly lifted her arm in an attempt to remove himself from her hold without waking her, but Elena's eyes fluttered open as he did. Her voice was groggy as she asked, "Damon, how are you feeling?"

But he just leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before making his way to the front room of the cottage. Bonnie and Tyler were nowhere to be found and Damon assumed they must have still been asleep when he heard a twig snap outside.

He knew Bonnie had placed an invisibility shield on the land around the cottage and that they were safe, but curiosity got the best of him. He had just opened the door when Elena appeared at his side. She laced her arm around his waist and leaned against him as Damon searched the surrounding woodland.

The sun was still a slight glow beneath the horizon giving the entire forest a faint pink coloring. Typically the aesthetics of the nature and Elena leaning into him would have set the tone for a very romantic view, but the crunching leaves vibrating against his ear drums eliminated the romance completely.

It took another second before two figures appeared in the distance. They were still quite a ways away, but Damon could see them perfectly. Rose was on the left, while a male vampire, Damon had met a few times but couldn't remember the name of, was on the right. Their heads were swaying from side to side as they searched the surrounding woods and Damon knew exactly what they were searching for.

He heard Elena's heartbeat quicken as her mortal eyes took in the sight of them before Tyler's voice filled the air. It was elevated as he stressed, "Back away from the door, now!"

Damon scoffed and shook his head as he ignored the wolf's request. The first rays of sun had just started to break over the horizon and stretch their way towards the cottage as Tyler grabbed hold of Damon's shoulder. The boy forced Damon's body back, but not before the stream of sun entered through the front door. Damon's hand had begun to singe under the sun when Tyler threw him further into the house and out of the light.

In the shadow supplied by the structure of the house, Damon's hand immediately began to heal. He was speechless as he stared at the portion of his hand that had just moments ago been burned and tried to contemplate what had just happened. He looked up and saw Elena still standing in the doorway completely unaffected by the intensity of sunlight streaming against her back when screams shattered through the air.

Looking past Elena, Damon saw two fires ignite where Rose and her comrade had previously been. Their screams echoed through the space until the fires extinguished and no one was left standing. Their bodies had completely disappeared and Damon's eyes were wide from shock as he stared at the now vacant space in the distance. He had no idea what the hell just happened, but he was sure his fellow vampires had just burned to death.

Damon was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea of sunlight being a threat, when Bonnie settled beside him and mused, "I think it's time for your answers now."

* * *

_**Please Read and Review! :)**_


	15. Chapter 15

**First and foremost… I am so, so, so, so, so (can I add this word enough? Probably not) sorry for the huge time gap between this post and the last one. I stopped writing this story initially because a member of my family passed away and it was too close to my heart to continue at the time. So I worked on another one to get me through that time.**

**Once I was finished the other, I had every intention of getting back to this one, but then another member of my family passed away. I immediately went back to that "not so great" emotional place and just took a break from writing altogether.**

**I worked my way out of that downward funk, but ultimately it was going back and re-reading all of your wonderful comments that actually gave me the inspiration to start writing again. So, please know that I mean it when I say that you guys are the reason I keep writing. Your support seriously means so much to me and I thank you all for taking the time to read and review my stuff. And most importantly, I apologize for leaving you guys hanging with this story for so long.**

**So, if anyone is still interested in this thing, I'm back. And I won't be leaving it again until it's finished.**

_**Hope you like the chapter that took me forever and a day to update. :)**_

* * *

"Your two species are entirely too powerful to continue the way you've been," Bonnie explained while shifting her eyes between Damon and Elena.

"I think that opinion varies depending on who you ask," Damon quipped back through gritted teeth.

He was trying his best to stay calm, but it had been one hell of a morning; one he'd refused to actually believe was really happening until he'd tested his new weakness a second time. After shoving his hand directly into the stream of sunlight breaking through the doorway again, he'd been infuriated to feel the sting of burning flesh. Instantly, blisters spread across the top layer of his skin and smoke singed the exposed area forcing Damon to whip his hand back protectively against his chest.

_Yep, sunlight was definitely an issue._

He'd been stuck somewhere between flabbergasted and downright pissed when the witch tried to ease him back into a safer portion of the house. And when he'd sent her flying against the stone wall, she'd immediately countered with her brain explosion trick, sending him hurtling towards the floor in pain.

Now, he was sitting opposite of Bonnie, with Elena on his right, at the kitchen table and having one hell of a time trying to keep his anger in check. He knew better than to attack the witch again, but honestly he wanted nothing more than to rip her arm from its socket.

Instead, he settled for snide comments like the one he'd just expressed and tapping his fingers against the side of his leg in an attempt to dissipate some of his pent up anger. The action wasn't exactly producing the most optimum effect, but it worked enough to keep him waiting around to hear what the hell was going on.

Bonnie ignored his initial remark and explained, "Something needed to be done or else your species would have continued to destroy each other. Honestly, this doesn't make a difference to me. What does is the fact that this war is destroying everyone else in the process."

"Can we skip all of this reprimanding crap and just get to the sunlight portion of your explanation," Damon interrupted.

Elena's hand immediately swept under the table and latched onto his, giving it a tight squeeze in the process. Normally this would have had a soothing effect on his nerves, but it was her way of getting him to calm down which only infuriated him more. The last thing he wanted to do was take his irritation out on Elena, so he regained control, took a deep breath, and kept his attention focused on the witch in front of him.

After his last comment, she seemed to get the hint and got right to the point. "Limitations have been placed on your species to control the damage you're evoking on yourselves as well as everyone around you."

Damon's hand responsively tightened around Elena's and he was about to go off when Elena broke her silence and spoke up instead.

"Limitations? What are you talking about?" Elena asked. She then shook her head from side to side and continued, "We understand that Demetra was working on a spell to limit werewolves to full moons, but she never said anything about sunlight effecting vampires."

A small smile crept across Bonnie's lips as she responded, "Demetra always had a soft spot for wolves; it's how she got thrown into this mess in the first place. But once she'd been given the order to create the spell, she didn't find it very fair to limit the wolves without placing a restriction on the vampires as well. That would have made a vampire victory too easy and the last thing we want is a sole victor that controls everything."

"Instead," Bonnie continued on, "we just want this war to be over. Hence the restrictions."

Bonnie's hand then crept below the table before it reappeared with the two rocks Damon had become so familiar with. He wasn't sure how Bonnie had acquired them since the last time he'd seen them they'd been in Demetra's possession, but that was the furthest from important right now. First, he needed to hear what limitations this witch bitch was referring to.

The witch rolled the two rocks around in her hand, replicating Demetra's exact action, before setting the darker one onto the wooden table. She then held the white rock at face level and said, "The moon stone contains the original spell that started this whole thing. It limits werewolves to transforming only during a full moon, but also forces them to transform. So no more changing at will," she added with a glance at Elena.

Elena's jaw was slagging slightly at this bit of information and all of Damon's previous anger seemed to fall with it. She appeared broken as the reality of her new supernatural situation hit her and he wanted nothing more than to remove that shattered look from her face.

Suddenly, everything about his situation and everything the day had brought vanished as he wrapped an arm around Elena and pulled her into him. He was about to open his lips to explain he'd be there to help her when his attention was pulled back to Bonnie.

She replaced the white rock in her hand with the black one and informed, "This night stone contains the section of the spell that equals the playing field a bit. Just like the name," Bonnie said with eyes locked on Damon, "your species will now be limited to the night. Wreaking havoc during the day is no longer an option."

"You have got to be shitting me!" Damon shouted impulsively as his hand slipped from around Elena and he lifted himself into a standing position.

"Damon," Elena tried to coax, but his anger was too far beyond control at this point. Sure, he'd already realized sunlight was a threat, but having it spoken out loud only made it more real. Besides, that restriction immediately placed after Elena's had sent him into a fury. He'd gone along with this fucking plan because Demetra had made it seem like he and Elena would be gaining something from this whole experience.

Instead, their species were getting the exact opposite.

All of his compassion towards leaving the witch back in the castle vanished as his rage spiraled out of control. He thrusted his hand across the table into Bonnie's face and spat, "I'm going to kill Demetra when night falls because this is not what I signed up for."

He then took a moment to glance back at Elena to make sure she was still emotionally alright before shifting his eyes back in the witch's direction. "We were told we'd be thanking her by the end of this, but it seems your kind are the only ones gaining anything from this."

Bonnie remained unaffected by his outburst as she replied, "Our kind's power is derived from nature and human's will dwindle that enough in the future that we'll become practically powerless. So don't tell me that you're the only ones affected. Every species somehow seems to control the other; it's just not our time yet."

"And it's ours?" Damon asked, incredulous.

With a slight shrug of her shoulders, Bonnie answered, "Apparently Demetra thought so. I'd tell you to take your disproval out on her when you go kill her, but seeing as how she's already dead, that might be kind of difficult."

"She's dead?" Elena interrupted softly from her seat at the table; speaking the very words swirling through Damon's mind.

Bonnie nodded her head solemnly in confirmation and answered, "You heard me correctly. In order for the spell to be set in motion, she needed to die." Then her attention was directed towards Damon as an edged hatred made its way into her voice. "It was her last 'out clause' for the spell. But your kind proved, once again, why the spell was constructed in the first place. Compassion was all they needed and they showed her none."

"So, we're supposed to be punished because of what they did?" Damon heatedly questioned. Deep down he felt terrible that Demetra fell because he knew it was a direct result in her helping them out of the castle. Still, that didn't stop his rage over their current situation from continuously spilling from his lips.

But Bonnie regained her composure and lowered her voice as she responded, "No. You two specifically aren't being punished at all." She then lifted her hands into the air and added, "If you'd just calm down, I can finish explaining your part in the spell."

"And why should we believe anything you say?" Damon questioned. He then shook his head from side to side and blatantly asked, "How do you even know all of this?"

"Because I'm a witch," Bonnie answered without missing a beat. "One with a direct bloodline to the spell's creator."

"Meaning?" Damon pushed.

"Meaning," Bonnie replied with a heated look in his direction, "I had direct access to everything going on in Demetra's mind. I knew exactly what my aunt was thinking and everything that happened leading up until this point. She wanted me to hear her thoughts, so I was able to."

"That's impossible," Elena stated with a slight shake of her head.

"We're witches," Bonnie clarified, "and by now you should understand exactly what's possible to us."

"Forgive me if I don't bow down and praise your abilities," Damon snarkily responded.

Bonnie rolled her eyes and replied, "I wouldn't expect you to, Damon. All I'm trying to do is get you to understand that you're in a position to change the course of everything. I can explain, but I need you to calm down and just listen. But most importantly, I need you to trust that I know what I'm talking about."

By no means did Damon trust the witch in front of him, but in order to keep things moving he decided to oblige. He remained standing as he waved his hand through the air and remarked, "Well, by all means, continue away then."

Bonnie appeared relieved for the slightest second before she took a deep breath and continued on. "Demetra took sympathy on your situation. As I've already explained, she had a weakness for werewolves and we all know what that resulted in. That's why the two of you have been chosen as the stone's carriers and with that comes privileges."

Damon watched hesitantly and she reached down and picked the two rocks off of the table. She handed the darker one to him and the lighter to Elena as she explained, "As long as you have your particular stone in your possession, the restrictions don't apply to you."

"It's as simple as that?" Elena asked; clearly unconvinced.

"It's as simple as that," Bonnie responded confidently.

Elena then lifted her doe eyes to glance in Damon's direction. Her expression read as uncertain as he felt on the inside and he had no intention of believing the witch without proof.

With the dark stone in hand, he made his way to the front door. He hesitated a moment, remembering the burning sensation sunlight provided, before swinging the door open.

Sunlight blasted his face, but instead of the burn he was expecting, he only felt its familiar warmth. He was still appreciating the feeling he'd taken for granted so many times when Bonnie's voice sounded behind him.

"But I have to warn you, being carriers comes with its consequences. If others get word of this spell and that you're carrying the stones that bind it, they'll try and break it. Your stones, as well as a member of each of your species must be sacrificed in order for it to be broken. You'd be the most obvious choice for the sacrifice, so it's very possible that you'll become collateral damage in the process. So you need to be very limited with who you tell this information to; if you even decide to tell anyone at all."

Damon vaguely heard her words as Tyler came into focus in the distance. The werewolf had dismissed himself before this conversation had even begun, claiming he had chores that needed to be completed. Seeing the boy now, Damon wasn't sure it was possible to get their two species to co-exist. And he definitely didn't see how pissing them both off would do the trick.

But then the boy lifted his head and shot Damon a friendly smile, almost as if he was countering his very thought. Damon knew he should have taken it as a positive sign that maybe a friendly co-existence _was_ possible, but instead he only felt betrayed once again.

He was turned back around and facing Bonnie within a flash as he accused, "I'm assuming your pet knows that we're the carriers."

Bonnie nodded and answered, "Of course. The two of us have been planning your visit for a very long time. Plus, you're going to need him as an ally."

"Don't you think Damon and I should choose who our allies are?" Elena asked as she stood from her spot at the table and made her way to Damon's side. Responsively, he slid an arm around her waist and resisted every urge he had in him to smile at her asking the very question previously tickling the tip of his tongue.

But just because he couldn't help himself from contributing, he added, "And furthermore, why would Demetra even think that we'd want a part in this spell?"

Bonnie blinked her eyes at their teamed attacked before she composed herself and replied, "Trust me when I say you're going to need Tyler and Demetra chose you because she had faith that the two of you would understand why this war needed to come to an end. This spell has the power to do that and it will."

Damon wasn't convinced. Maybe it was the fact that he still felt slightly betrayed by this whole charade or perhaps it was just the fact that old habits die hard, but he still didn't trust Bonnie, nor Demetra anymore for that matter, and he had no intention of being their pawn in this path to end the war that had been going on for the past 6 years.

Sure, if what Bonnie was saying actually _was_ the truth, then Elena and he could live their lives in peace; their love finally accepted. But that was only if Bonnie was telling the truth. And when he stole a glance at Elena, she was looking down at the rock in her hand and the innocence on her face was all he needed to make up his mind.

He wouldn't throw her into more danger and that was exactly what being a carrier was. Of course, they were in danger now, but at least it was only against one species. If word got out of their involvement in this spell, they'd have to withstand both and the uncertain outcome just didn't measure up against the risks.

"No," Damon said as he began shaking his head dejectedly through the air. His arm slid from around Elena's waist and removed the rock from her grip. She looked up at him and nodded approvingly, understanding painted across her face, as he continued, "We don't want any part in this."

He took a few steps to place himself directly in front of Bonnie and held the rocks out to return. "I'm sorry about what happened to your aunt and we're grateful for everything she did to help us escape, but you need to reverse the spell. And you need to reverse it now"

But Bonnie didn't lift her hand to accept the rocks. Instead she shook her head and responded, "I'm sorry I can't do that. And I'm pretty sure Elena wouldn't want me to."

"And why is that," Elena asked skeptically; hands located directly on the sides of her hips as she stepped forward to stand beside Damon.

"Because there's still one aspect of the spell I think you might be interested in," the witch responded confidently.

"That being," Damon urged.

"Vampires aren't born the way they are. Most of the time, they're given a choice as to whether they want to gain eternity or not," answered Bonnie. "Werewolves aren't offered that same choice and Demetra figured that should be part of the deal."

"What exactly are you getting at?" Damon asked uneasily.

The smile remained intact as Bonnie's eyes drifted towards Elena and she answered. "Just that Elena won't ever have to turn if she doesn't want to."

"Excuse me?" Elena asked.

"You heard me correctly. Your two lifestyles were originally supposed to be a curse and they've long since transformed into what they are today. Demetra's bringing back that origin and so yes, you'll have a choice as to whether you want to transition or not. You still have the gene, but until you kill a human, it'll remain in remission and you'll remain human."

Damon heard Elena's quick intake of breath at the witch's information and turned to face her. Her eyes were glistened over in a way that represented they were no longer on the same side when it came to sacrificing their link to this spell. She looked beautiful with that look of satisfied wonder gleaming from her face and he felt his defenses begin to falter.

Because he would do anything to make her happy, but all he wanted was to protect her and right now, it was more than obvious that these two things were the exact opposite.

* * *

"I can remain human?" Elena asked in barely above a whisper.

She couldn't believe she'd actually heard the witch correctly. For so long, she'd been marked by the very essence of what she'd eventually transition into and now she actually had a choice in the matter.

A few days ago, she would have easily rejected this offer. But now, after being with Damon and feeling the fear of what he might think of her once she did transition, this offer felt like a blessing.

Sure, he'd spoken his devotion to her only yesterday, vanquishing most of her worries, but now she had the possibility of destroying them once and for all. She'd still ultimately choose to turn, of course, but she'd get more time with him before doing so. They'd get to a better place, their relationship wouldn't be as fresh as it was now, and his opinion of her wouldn't sway once their species happily co-existed.

Plus, she wouldn't have to endure the physical torture of the transformation tonight.

This was the choice she needed and right now it was the choice she wanted. So continuing her thoughts out loud, Elena declared, "We'll be your carriers."

But then Damon's arm reached across her chest, holding her back, as he objected, "No, we won't."

Elena shot him a scolding look, but Damon's head turned as he returned one with determination. They continued to stare at each other; neither one backing down, until Damon broke the silence.

"We're going to need a minute," he ordered, never peeling his eyes from Elena's.

Bonnie instantly knew this order was directed at her and nodded her head obligingly. Elena kept her eyes adhered to Damon's as Bonnie made her way out the door. Just before the witch shut the door behind her, she turned back and commented, "Werewolves that have already transitioned don't get this opportunity. So both of you really need to think about what this could mean for those that haven't as well as yourselves."

And with that she was gone, leaving the two of them in their stare down for dominance. This continued for another solid minute before Damon finally spoke up. "Why is this even an option for you?"

"And why isn't it one for you?" Elena refuted. She then took a deep break and said, "This is what we've wanted, Damon. We're finally getting a chance to live in a world where our species don't hate each other." She then reached for his face and added, "We could finally be together."

"We're together now," Damon countered softly.

Elena shook her head slowly through the air and replied, "But we're running for our lives, which would have sufficed before. But now we have the chance to survive without running. Isn't that even the least bit appealing to you?"

"Of course it is, Elena, but I just don't see how this spell is supposed to end the war. Nor how it's supposed to make us safer than we are now," Damon argued.

He then threw his arms haphazardly through the air and stated, "The vampires are pissed and the wolves are going to follow when they try and transform on will. Word is eventually going to get out that were carrying the keys to breaking this whole thing and instead of one pissed species, we're going to have both gunning for us."

"That's only if they find out," Elena countered.

Damon shot her an incredulous look and asked, "And what makes you so sure they won't?"

Elena threw her arms into the air and refuted in a slightly elevated tone, "How will they?"

To her surprise, Damon didn't return her tone. Instead he removed his eyes from hers and shook his head through the air. A few seconds had passed before he finally lifted his face to once again meet hers and he asked softly, "Elena, don't you understand that I'm just trying to protect you?"

She smiled at his declaration because she knew it was nothing but the truth and said, "And I love you for that, I do. But I want this, Damon." She then paused before adding, "I want this life for us."

"And all I want is to keep you alive," he countered. "I'm not sure I'm strong enough to stand against both species if it ultimately comes to that."

"Then we keep our mouths shut. We don't tell anyone and we make damn sure Tyler doesn't either," she declared.

"Fine," Damon responded in a tone that clearly suggested it was the furthest from that before he continued, "We keep our mouths shut and the spell continues according to plan. What then?"

Elena cocked her head to the side and shot him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"What happens next?" Damon's eyes widened as he stressed his point. "Do you really think our species will miraculously forget they hate each other and co-exist?"

"I don't know," Elena responded, suddenly feeling exhausted by this opposition of opinions. She then made her way over to Damon and wrapped her arms around his torso. She peered up at his remarkably blue eyes and stressed, "But Bonnie believes it's possible and we're just going to have to trust her."

"Easier said than done," he remarked. His body remained as rigid as ever under her arms and she hated that disconnected feeling as he added, "I don't trust anyone, Elena, especially not a witch that seems to gain pleasure from striking me to the floor."

Elena tightened her grip around his body before releasing it and lifting her hands to his cheeks. She took his face between the palms of her hands and stressed, "But you trust _me_. And I feel it in my gut that we're going to be alright. This is the choice were supposed to make."

Damon then placed his hands on top of hers and sighed. The look behind his eyes only magnified how wary he was behind this decision as he spoke it out loud. "And what if my guts telling me it's not?"

Elena cocked her head to the side and shot him an adorable smile. "Then I'd mention your gut also insisted you stay behind in Tyrus instead of coming with me. Your track record proves that your gut instincts are a little off."

At this, he rolled his eyes playfully and Elena knew she'd won. Damon let out one last breath of air, and as he did Elena could actually see his last bit of resistance being released with it.

Damon then brought his forehead to rest against hers and closed his eyes as he declared, "All I want is to keep you safe, Elena. I can't lose you."

She then repositioned his face to rest in front of hers and forced him to open his eyes. She then threw as much dedication behind her orbs as she'd seen him do in the past and assured, "You won't."

"How are you so sure?" he asked softly.

"Because I trust _you_," she answered.

Elena then brought her lips to his, sealing their agreement and ending their debate completely. She'd just felt Damon's hand slide into the base strands of hair on her neck, when he twisted his face away from hers and asked, "You're not making this choice because you're still nervous about my opinion once you transition, are you?"

Originally her answer to his question would have been yes. It was still a factor behind it, but ultimately Elena believed Bonnie when she said the war could come to an end. She trusted the witches, especially Demetra, because without her they wouldn't have survived their escape from the city.

If this was what Demetra wanted from them in return, than Elena was more than happy to oblige. And when their love was eventually accepted, well, that would just be the icing on top cake.

She still feared Damon's opinion of her once she chose to transition to spend eternity with him, but she was thankful for the opportunity to decide when she was ready.

So, Elena shook her head and smiled at him as she answered, "It's not; I promise. But I do want to wait until I'm ready to transition. I'm not sure I'm ready to go through that yet and I'm completely sure I'm not ready to kill anyone."

Damon chuckled at her honest confession before lifting his hand to slide a stray strand of her chocolate hair behind her ear. His lips had just parted, signifying the words that were about to leave them, when Tyler opened the door with Bonnie in tow.

Surprised, Damon and Elena both whipped around as Tyler cheerfully announced, "Now that we've got _that_ behind us, are we ready to go save Caroline?"

* * *

_**Please Read and Review. :)**_

**I just wanted to warn you guys that work is currently controlling and very much limiting my free time. I'm going to try and keep my updates as frequent as possible, but they'll probably be a little more spaced than they were before my hiatus.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I was seriously blown away by the amount of you still interested in this story after my huge hiatus. You guys rock and if I could give each of you a virtual hug through my computer, I totally would. And for those of you that reviewed anonymously, THANK YOU!**

**That being said, I don't really have any author's notes about this chapter.**

_**Hope you like it. :)**_

* * *

"Tyler, I told you they weren't ready for that information yet," Bonnie said with a slight slap across his shoulder. The smile on her face did nothing but counteract her statement and Damon couldn't help but consider that this little interruption on his and Elena's moment was exactly what the witch had intended.

"Caroline?" Damon asked in surprise. He couldn't believe that his only friend still left in Tyrus hadn't crossed his mind since yesterday. With everything going on, her safety and outcome should have been one of his top priorities. "She's still alive?"

"Of course she is," Bonnie replied as she made her way across the room to take a seat at the kitchen table. Her eyes never met Damon's as she added, "But she's not exactly fairing so well."

"Elaborate," Damon insisted as he made his way over to her. He hated the fact that in order to gain information he always seemed to have to play into the witches' conversational plan. But this was Caroline they were talking about and he'd do whatever he had to in order to make sure she was safe.

"Well," Bonnie responded nonchalantly, "she's locked in the dungeon of the castle so sunlight's not an issue. But then again, your friend Elijah can be just as much of a threat."

Frustrated, Damon shook his head and quipped, "Your lips keep moving, but they're not giving me anything. Why don't you just come out with what happened to her."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and answered, "Elijah knows she helped you escape. He's got her chalked full of vervain, strapped to a chair in the very room Demetra was being held captive and he's refusing to supply her any blood until she gives up your location."

"But she doesn't know," Elena interrupted with nothing but concern present in her voice.

Bonnie shook her head quickly and replied, "Elijah doesn't know that and from the visions I keep getting, I'd say he doesn't believe it either."

"Then I've got to help her," Damon instantly declared.

But Elena quickly made her way to his side and latched her hand onto his shoulder, forcing him to look in her direction. "How do you even plan on getting her out, Damon? You can't exactly barge in, rescue her, and walk her back out through the front door. She'll burn the instant she takes a step outside."

"Then I'll wait outside the city walls until nightfall," Damon responded easily. He didn't exactly love the idea of waiting around while Caroline remained strapped to a chair and dangling onto the last edge of her life, but Elena had a point; one that he couldn't refute.

"No need," Bonnie interrupted, pulling a silver ring from her pocket. "This will take care of the sunlight issue."

Damon stared at it for a minute and seriously wondered what other helpful objects this witch still intended on pulling out of her magic hat before it dawned on him that she was being entirely too helpful with this whole matter.

"Why are you so insistent on me helping Caroline?" he asked skeptically. "You supposedly hate our kind and now I'm supposed to believe you want to aid in a rescue."

The witch shrugged her shoulders at this and for once there was something genuine in her cinnamon orbs as she answered, "It's the least I could do since you've decided to be our carriers. Let's just say this is my way of saying thank you."

Damon still didn't believe her. Behind that false sincerity he was sure there was a scheme bubbling up inside of the witch. But he didn't get a chance to raise his concern before Elena spoke up and insisted, "Then you're welcome and thank you in return."

Elena took the ring from Bonnie's hand before she turned back around to face Damon and suggested, "We should get going. The more time we waste, the worse off Caroline gets."

Elena's desire to tag along didn't surprise Damon in the least. He knew she'd developed a friendship with Caroline and would want to offer any assistance she could at reclaiming that friendship she'd left behind. It was one of the things he loved about her most; that fearlessly determined nature when she set her mind to something. But that didn't mean he had to let her.

He really wasn't excited about his next move since they'd just gotten over one argument, but Damon knew it had to be done. Instantly, his hand swept out and snatched the ring from between Elena's tiny fingers. "You're not coming with me."

And the fury he'd been expecting consumed her face as she opposed, "You can't do this alone! I'm sure she's guarded and since the suns still out, the place will be crawling with vampires."

"It will be," Bonnie interrupted from her seat at the table. "But they're all shacking down in the training center until they can figure out what the hell is going on with the sunlight issue. From what I can tell, there's only one soldier guarding your friend and Tyler can come with you to help with that."

"I don't need help from him," Damon refuted with a disdainful glance in Tyler's direction.

"Just get off of your high horse and let me help," the wolf boy remarked as his arms extended and crossed over his chest. "I might just end up surprising you."

Damon let out a snort and commented, "I doubt that."

"Would you two just stop it!" Elena interrupted, shifting her eyes between the two of them. She then focused her attention on Damon and pleaded, "Damon, we barely got out the first time and I want to save Caroline just as much as you, but if you're going back, so am I."

She then let out a deep breath and concluded, "It's too dangerous for me to just sit back and wait to see if you make it out alive again."

Damon placed both hands on her shoulders and lowered himself to meet her eyes. "That danger is exactly the reason why you're not coming. You're human and I can't keep you protected and save Caroline at the same time."

"I'll be fine," he assured. And with a backwards glance at Tyler he added, "And if it makes you feel any better, I'll bring the mutt along for back-up."

But Elena shook her head and objected, "No, that doesn't make me feel any better. I'm worried about you."

He always hated hearing those words and he especially hated the way her nose seemed to wrinkle, forming a few distinct lines across her forehead as she did. He didn't want to make her worry any more than she already was, but he couldn't back down. Not about this.

But before he had a chance to speak another opposition, he gained help from a very surprising source.

"It's okay, Elena. Let them go. I promise they'll be safe," Bonnie stated from the table.

Damon couldn't believe he actually felt grateful for once to have this particular witch in his presence, but at the moment he was. He forced himself to smile a little as he assured sarcastically, "See, even the all-knowing witch say's we'll be fine."

And he could see it in Elena's expression that she'd lost all of her ammunition for the fight. Her doe eyes were sad and pleading as she said, "But I just got you back into my life."

He didn't even care that they had an audience at the moment. Somehow being around Elena always had the power of making everyone else drift away. And it was because of this that he lifted his hand to stroke the side of her cheek as he softly assured, "And I'll still be here tomorrow. I'll just have Caroline with me too."

Elena actually smiled at this. She shook her head from side to side as she rolled her eyes, clearly defeated, and commented, "She's the only one I'd let you go back for."

"I know and that's why you're going to," he responded softly as his hands slid down her sides and landed on her hips.

Elena nodded her head slowly in acceptance and ordered, "Just be careful," before she pressed her lips against his.

The kiss was soft, but Damon wasn't a fool and he felt the desperation rolling off of Elena through it. Still, he refused to let his mind even consider the fact that this might be the last time this action ever took place. Instead he focused on the confidence he had in himself to get Caroline safely out of that wretched city and back here to safety before Elijah tortured her anymore for information she didn't know.

So, he squeezed Elena one last time before he pulled his lips from hers and shot her a confident smirk. "I'll be back before you know it; I promise," he assured before his hands slipped off her hips and he made his way to the door, calling for Tyler to follow in the process.

With her eyes locked on Tyler, Elena threatened, "I like you, but if you let anything happen to him, I swear I'll trigger my transformation and rip you to shreds myself."

Damon laughed at how easily his girl could turn into one of the fiercest creatures he knew before he took one last glance at her, mouthed the words, 'I love you,' and shut the door behind him.

* * *

Elena wasn't sure how long she'd been standing in the same spot, staring at the closed door of the cottage before Bonnie interrupted her trance.

"You're worried about him; I know," the witch said in an understanding tone.

Elena felt liquid rise in the corners of her eyes and refused to turn and show the witch her emotional fatigue, so instead she just nodded her head and kept her eyes focused on the closed wooden door.

"You don't need to be," Bonnie assured. "Tyler's with him and if everything goes according to plan, soon you will be too."

Elena had just wiped a stray tear from sliding down her cheek, when she processed what the witch had just said. She whipped around as fast as humanely possible, shot Bonnie and incredulous look, and asked, "What did you just say?"

But the witch just smiled at her, the way her mother used to when she explained a life lesson. Her voice was calm as she suggested, "You should probably take a seat because there's things I still need to tell you."

"And why are you waiting until now to tell me?" Elena asked skeptically as she edged closer to the witch.

"Because I needed Damon and Tyler to get moving and I knew Damon would never leave knowing you'd ultimately be joining him in Tyrus," Bonnie answered. "Everything that I'm about to tell you depends on timing and they needed to get to the city before the sun set."

Elena lowered herself into the empty chair directly in front of Bonnie, sat her elbows onto the wooden table and asked, "And why do they need to get to the city before the sun sets?"

"Because you're going to kill the vampires trapped inside of the castle and in order to do that, you need them all to be in one location," Bonnie explained.

* * *

"You made the right choice you know, being the carriers," Tyler commented as Damon leaped over a streaming flow of water.

They'd been walking for at least an hour through the woods, making minimum progress because the wolf kid was infuriatingly slow. Up until that point, the kid had remained silent, something which Damon had greatly appreciated, but the inevitable had happened; the boy had opened his mouth.

Damon grunted in disproval and quipped back, "Just because I agreed to let you tag along on this mission, does not mean I'm alright with conversation along the way."

But Tyler didn't seem to get the hint because he refuted, "I'm just trying to supply some entertainment to this dull trip. We've got a long hike ahead and it's going to get pretty boring trudging along in silence."

Damon stepped over a fallen tree as he heatedly asked, "Why are you even along for this trip? Aren't you supposed to be pissed that your ability to change at will has been revoked?"

Tyler followed and stepped over the same tree as he shrugged and answered, "Initially, when Bonnie told me Demetra's plan, I was. But then I realized that this wasn't just about me. So many others are going to be effected in a positive way that it seemed selfish to focus on how it would negatively affect me."

Then a smile appeared on the kids face; one that hinted he knew something that Damon didn't as he added, "Plus, I have a lot to look forward to."

"That being?" Damon asked sarcastically; not really caring at all what the boy had awaiting in his future. As soon as this day was over and he had Caroline away from Tyrus, he had every intention of taking the two girls and getting the hell away from Bonnie and her pet.

"It's nothing," Tyler replied; completely surprising Damon by not spilling any of the juicy details.

They continued in silence a few more steps before Tyler suddenly asked, "So what's Caroline like?"

Damon laughed uncontrollably at this because he'd actually been looking forward to Tyler's introduction to Caroline. She'd hate him instantly and the thought of her reaction when she saw Tyler as well as her witty comments that were sure to follow, were more than enough to keep Damon striding alongside the boy.

"She's going to _love_ you," Damon answered with a conniving smile stretched across his lips.

Tyler completely missed the sarcasm in Damon's last comment because the boy instantly smiled and seemed to inflate with pride. His chest stuck out slightly as he replied, "Great! I can't wait to meet her."

"I can't wait for you to meet her either," Damon remarked, resisting every urge he had to release the laugh bubbling up within him right into Tyler's face. "But that's looking like it's never going to happen. I mean, we might as well be dead with as slow as were moving."

"Then I guess it's a good thing Bonnie gave me this," Tyler responded, lifting some sort of greenery into the air and shooting Damon a friendly smile.

"What exactly is that?" Damon questioned.

"Wolfsbane," Tyler answered. "It's some sort of plant Bonnie's been having me grow. Apparently it'll allow me to change at will for 24 hours before the effects wear off."

Damon's feet immediately stopped moving forward and he spun around, grabbing Tyler by the neck and slamming him against the nearest tree. His face rested inches from the wolf's as he screamed, "If you had that this whole time, why the hell didn't you injest it earlier?"

"I don't know," Tyler gasped out as best he could while Damon tried his best not to tighten his grip around the boy's neck further.

Then Damon let out an irritated sigh, rolled his eyes, and released his hold on the boy. Tyler fell to the ground and rubbed his neck as Damon ordered, "Eat it now so we can get to the fucking city."

The boy did as he was told; shoving the plant into his mouth before swallowing. He then removed his clothes and within a few seconds, the effects started to show and Tyler began to transform.

Once he did, Damon shook his head and muttered, "Moron," before he picked up the disgusting articles of clothing and they both tore off through the forest.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Elena began through narrowed eyes. "You need me to set the entire training center on fire?"

She then shook her head dismissively through the air and refuted, "There's no way that'll work. And besides, I'd be killing vampires that weren't even part of this war. I can't morally do that."

"It _will_ work," Bonnie insisted. "And the only vampires housed inside of the castle right now are the lieutenants, captains, and soldiers that weren't given orders to look for you on the first shift. The citizens that survived the initial sunlight incident are all trapped inside of their homes. They won't be affected."

Well that certainly cleared that up, but Elena still didn't understand why she needed to take part in this whole thing. "Why exactly do I need to set this fire? Couldn't Damon and Tyler set it?"

Bonnie shook her head slightly and answered, "No, because despite what you might believe about Damon, he's still a vampire and loyalty is deeply rooted within him."

Elena couldn't help the laugh that escaped from her lips. This explanation was the first that she couldn't actually believe. Damon was loyal; there was no doubt about that, but it was no longer directed towards his own kind. That loyalty had switched to her and it was then that she realized why she needed to be the one to set the place ablaze.

"No," Elena refuted as she shook her head through the air and an understanding smile slid across her lips. "You need me to do it because you know Damon will back any choice I make."

Bonnie crossed her hands over her chest and returned the very smile located on Elena's face as she mused, "His love for you is unlike anything I've ever seen. Well, except for the love I see from you in return. Demetra made a wise choice picking the two of you."

"Flattery isn't going to get you anything from me," Elena quipped from her side of the table.

"I was just making an observation," Bonnie clarified. "But you're correct; I need you to set the fire because I couldn't put my trust in the fact that he'd do so. He'll back your choice no matter what. And this needs to be done in order for the war to end."

The wheels in Elena's mind had just started to turn, putting all of these pieces together when Bonnie continued, "You know full well that your kind no longer wants any part in the bloodshed. They're just trying to survive at this point. But the vampires trapped inside of that castle have every intention of continuing it until they come out the victor. If you destroy them, you'll inevitably destroy this war altogether."

Suddenly, everything finally made sense and Elena understood exactly how this whole thing could end; the war, her and Damon's running, everything. It was all laid out in front of her now, so easy to comprehend and even easier to accept the happy outcome.

She should have been relieved to realize that her and Damon's happy ending was indeed a reality, but instead she found her loyalty getting in the way.

"I can't do that without telling Damon first. That's too big of a decision to make on my own," Elena objected. Because as much as she wanted this, it was still Damon's species and she couldn't destroy them without having him back her decision first.

But Bonnie already had that angle covered. "Don't worry about that. You'll cross paths in the castle before you get to the entryway of the training center."

And suddenly everything was alright again, but there was still one issue Elena was confused about.

"How the hell am I even supposed to get there in time? It took Damon almost a full night to get us here, so how am I supposed to get there in half of a day?" she asked. "I can't run that fast."

"You'll be able to as you soon as you take my life and transition into the creature you're supposed to be," Bonnie replied with a nonchalance that completely counteracted the statement that had just left her mouth.

Elena froze as the words left Bonnie's lips. She couldn't believe that only moments ago she'd rejoiced over the choice to turn when she felt ready only to have it ripped away from her again. And even worse, she didn't have Damon around, or even Tyler to help her through the first transition. She'd be alone. Bonnie would be dead at her own feet, by her own hands, and she'd have to live with that.

And she'd also have to come face to face with the biggest fear of all; Damon would see the new her, with no preparation whatsoever. Just one big surprise meeting in a place he didn't want her to be. She couldn't believe it.

Just as her hands began to tremble against the wood of the table and her breathing became difficult, Bonnie's hands extended out to encompass both of hers. She looked up at the witch, suddenly understanding how difficult this whole thing must have been on her, and frantically shook her head.

"I'm not ready," Elena sputtered as the tears formed once again in the corners of her eyes.

The witch rubbed smooth circles across the skin of Elena's hands and said, "You don't need to be afraid of Damon's reaction. I can feel your emotions, so I know what you're going through, but he's the _one_ thing you don't need to worry about."

"You can't be sure," Elena countered softly as a tear slipped down her cheek.

But Bonnie shot her a weak smile and assured, "Yes, I can. Like I said, he loves you, Elena, stronger than I've ever seen before."

Surprisingly, the observation soothed Elena's nerves about the issue. Bonnie was right, Damon loved her and she couldn't believe she'd ever continued to fear that his stance on that would change just because of some silly transition. He'd assured her it wouldn't. And she'd still be the same girl; just less fragile than she'd been in the past. That was what she reminded herself, repeating Damon's very words in the back of her mind.

As she did, his face came into focus. Beautiful, haunting, and angelic; nothing but adoration shining from it whenever he looked at her. And deep down she knew he wouldn't stray because of this choice and he certainly wouldn't leave her. He'd promised her forever and the least she could do was give it back in return.

But just because she'd tackled the most important issue about turning, didn't mean the others faded with it.

"But I'll be all alone; I'll transition on my own," Elena stressed as a tremble rocked through her body. She didn't want to bear that pain and she certainly didn't want to do it without Damon by her side.

Bonnie lips curved downward into a frown as compassion flooded across her eyes. "It's going to be painful, but you're strong. You can survive this."

"I can't take your life," Elena insisted, trying another means of getting Bonnie to back down on the issue. It was her last attempt; her last shot and she meant it. She couldn't take a life, especially not Bonnie's.

But the witch held her ground and refuted, "Yes, you can. Because I'm telling you to and it needs to be done."

Elena certainly didn't see why it needed to be done. Sure, she'd solidify everything blissful about her and Damon's future. They wouldn't have to run and they'd both be who they were meant to be, but why did it have to happen like this? She didn't understand why it necessarily _had_ to happen _this_ way.

So she asked, "But why?"

Bonnie seemed to be anticipating this question from the start because she responded confidently, "Because you have the power to end this war; to get the life you've dreamed about… the one so many others have dreamed about."

"But you won't get to live in it," Elena inserted sadly. She hadn't even gotten the opportunity to really get to know the witch and already Bonnie was being taken from her. It didn't seem fair; for either of them.

Elena felt Bonnie's hands clench around hers as an understanding smile lifted her lips and she explained, "We all make sacrifices for what we believe in. Mines my life, yours is your old one. I just need you to be ready to make it."

As the tears streamed full force down her cheeks, Elena began shaking her head dejectedly through the air when Bonnie stood from her seat at the table and made her way to Elena's side. The witch then extended her left hand and placed it on her shoulder as the other handed her a metal dagger.

There was no sadness, only acceptance as she placed it in Elena's hands and said, "I've accepted my fate and now I need you to accept yours."

"I can't," Elena objected weakly, searching desperately for any supply of strength she had within her to actually complete this act.

"You can," Bonnie assured once again. "The fate of our world depends on this moment and it needs you to."

And maybe it was something in the tone of Bonnie's voice or maybe it was the way her words flowed so smoothly and sounded so empowering trailing from her lips. Perhaps it was even some witch trick Bonnie was pulling, but suddenly Elena felt fire in her stomach. One that supplied her with strength and acceptance she'd previously been lacking.

She wasn't sure how it started, all she knew was that it was there in the time she needed it most. She didn't agree and she certainly wasn't content with the decision she was about to make, but as her fingers tightened around the blade, Elena said softly, "I'm so sorry; for everything. I'm sorry that you had to get caught up in all of this and especially for what I have to do."

As her hand lifted from the table with the danger clenched between her fingers, Bonnie smiled one last time and replied, "There's no need to be so…"

But she never finished. Because before she did, Elena had driven the dagger straight into the witch's heart.

* * *

_**Please read and review!**_


	17. Chapter 17

**For those of you that read my story **_**'A Bite That Starts It All,'**_** my wonderful friend bibi 13ca created a smut version of one of the chapters. It's awesome, very hot, and you should definitely check it out. It's listed as one of my favorite stories or you can go to her profile and find it. It's titled, **_**'I'm buzzed not drunk.'**_

**As for the chapter, I finally got to include some action again. And I can assure you that the following chapter will have it as well. Unfortunately, there's hardly any Delena in this one and for that I'm sorry.**

_**Hope you like it anyway! :)**_

* * *

The blood came first. It expanded from the dagger and slowly made its trail down Bonnie's chest; staining the previously tan fabric of her dress a deep crimson red. Not like the witch would mind anyway. She was gone, dead by Elena's impulse action and that fact was only supported by the pools of white staring back at her where Bonnie's cinnamon irises once were.

The shame came second, forcing Elena to remove her hold on the dagger that was now firmly inlodged in Bonnie's heart. It started in the pit of her stomach, churning around and sloshing against the interior walls, before she felt the acidic taste lapping at the back of her throat.

She pulled her visual contact from the sight of the dead witch and covered her mouth as the tears weld up in the corners of her eyes.

_What had she just done?_

The liquid quickly spread over the confinement of her lids as she released harsh, shallow sobs into the palms of her hands. The bile was still threatening to escape along with them, but miraculously stayed towards the back of her throat. It burned, along with the hatred inside of her chest for committing such an act.

_What the hell had she been thinking?_

She hadn't been. That was the problem. And it didn't matter if Bonnie had insisted Elena take the dagger and shove it into her heart because Elena was still the one who had made the decision to do so.

_She_ killed the witch and Elena was sure that was a choice that was going to follow her forever. That act and the memory of Bonnie's hauntingly vacant eyes would stick with her for eternity, because that's what she'd just ensured herself after all.

The thought forced the acid to once again begin to swirl in the base of her stomach and Elena was sure this time it would escape. She took a few steps forward and latched her hand onto the nearby chair for support. Her body was trembling and she could feel the sweat begin to spread across her skin and mix with her already tear-drenched cheeks.

Elena threw her arm around across her face and pressed her lips against her forearm as the gagging started. She just needed to get outside. She couldn't do this here.

She had taken only three more progressive steps when Bonnie's voice sounded from behind her.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this."

Terrified, Elena turned around only to see an empty wooden floor. No trace of Bonnie remained. Her body had disappeared and suddenly Elena didn't fear the awaiting vomit that was previously threatening the back of her sealed lips. It receded as her eyes widened and she took a step back towards the spot where Bonnie's body had been lying just moments before.

"This was my choice, you don't get to take credit for it," Bonnie's voice insisted.

Elena spun around the room, desperately trying to pin a source to the eerie sound of her acquaintance's voice, only to come up with nothing.

She had to be going crazy. None of this possible. Her mind was simply justifying her actions to make this easier.

But Bonnie's voice interrupted her thoughts and said, "You're not imagining anything."

"Then how the hell are you talking to me?" Elena shouted into the empty cottage. She felt absurd talking to no one and a portion of her still believed she was going crazy.

"I'm just here so you're not alone through the next part," Bonnie's voice explained. "Now brace yourself; this isn't going to be easy."

Immediately afterwards, Elena heard a sharp crack as her shoulder lifted further than its possible limit. The agony that followed was mind-numbing and the scream released from her lips was high enough to shatter glass. She fell to the floor, her face smashed against the wood, and released another that was hardly recognizable as her own

"It's going to be okay," she vaguely heard Bonnie's voice sooth in the background.

The bones in her arm were still contorting in different shapes when the bile came back. Ripples rode under the skin of her stomach and Elena glanced down to notice the ripples had stopped completely; leaving behind a very distinct line of rib bones stretching her skin to an implausible capacity.

Her knees suddenly jolted backward, shattering every bone in both of her legs and ripping the tendons in the process. Bones were popping up all over her body in places that were unnatural and the sounds were horrifying. But none of the images or sounds compared to the pain that tore through every underlying surface of her skin.

The agony was astronomical and Elena wasn't sure how this much ache was possible, but her body kept distorting and sending electrifying shocks to various locations to ensure her it was.

She tried to focus on Damon, but all her mind could concentrate on was the distinct throbbing in her ears, the agony rocketing through her limbs, and the deep howls that were coming from her throat.

All she wanted was for the experience to be over. She'd do anything for the pain to subside.

But realizing there was no way to escape any of this horrifying reality she had chosen for herself, Elena locked her lids up tight and allowed the fearful tears to just spill from her eyes.

She was sure the pain was beginning to transition into a numbing state when Bonnie's voice spoke up again. "This is my last gift to you before I move on. All I ask in return is that you remember why you chose this. Remember what you have to do and what you have the chance to get in return. And most importantly, remember that it only hurts this first time you transition."

Then it felt like the curtains were closing and Elena felt her vision and conscious fade to black. But in the process, she was almost positive she felt a cold hand place itself across her forehead, forcing her to fade into peace.

.

.

When Elena finally awoke, she wasn't sure how much time had passed. Rays of sunlight were still streaming through the open window onto the wooden floor next to her and it came as a relief. She still had time to get to the city before night fell. But first she needed to find some clothes and peel herself from the floor.

That would be the tricky part because surely after what she'd just been through, her body would be sore; fatigued from it's transitional process. But when Elena slowly slid her legs out from the fetal position they'd been in, she was surprised to feel nothing out of the ordinary. Her libs felt limber; actually they felt phenomenal.

Next she lifted her head from the ground and expected to feel the same throbbing inside of her skull she'd felt before she lost consciousness, but nothing came. No jolt of pain forcing her head back to the ground. Instead she felt clarity; an airy consistency that gave her the strength to lift the rest of her body from the ground.

After a quick glance around the cottage in a pathetically hopeless attempt to hear Bonnie's voice again, Elena made her way to the witch's room. It was simple with just a bed and a dresser, but that was all Elena needed. She slid the bottom drawer of the dresser out and rummaged through the clothing inside before settling on a simple lilac colored dress.

She found a knapsack on the floor beside the top left post of Bonnie's bed and shoved the garment inside. She then whispered, "Thank you, for everything," in hopes that Bonnie would understand how grateful she was before she made her way back out into kitchen portion of the cottage, shoving the explosive bow and set of arrows into the knapsack along the way.

Elena then opened the front door and took one deep breath, remembering the way it felt when her body transitioned into the beast she was about to become, and felt a shudder run down her spine. She replayed Bonnie's last words in the back of her mind to calm her frantic nerves and then forced herself to transform.

But nothing happened.

Elena tried again, focusing on nothing but the animal she desired to become, only to feel the disappointment of failure. She attempted the transformation four more times before throwing her arms into the air in defeat. She swirled around and yelled into the empty air, "How the hell am I supposed to save our world if I can't transform?"

Nothing followed, but then again Elena really hadn't been expecting a response. The witch was gone, this she knew, but that didn't mean she couldn't give it a try.

Elena felt crushed as her eyes drifted to the floor. She had no idea what the hell she was supposed to do. Her mind was racing through any possible reason this could have been happening as her eyes shifted back and forth across the floor. She'd just accepted utter defeat when a glint caught her eye from under the garment she'd been wearing earlier. It was shredded in multiple places; evidence that Elena _had_ transformed.

She hastily made her way to the remnants of the garment and shoved her hand under the fabric, feeling the smooth surface of her moon stone. Understanding smacked her across the face as she stared at the rock. Of course she couldn't transform at will without the stone. Bonnie had told her this earlier. But how the heck was she supposed to carry the thing as a wolf?

Elena's eyes darted around the room before they fell on a thin piece of rope. She grabbed the rope and wrapped it multiple times around the stone so that only a few sections could still be seen and then tied a loop around her neck with the rest. It dangled just below her breasts, but it was loose enough not to rip when she transformed.

Feeling satisfied with her work, Elena then tried again to transform, yielding her aimed result this time. It happened in the blink of an eye; so fast that Elena wasn't sure she'd actually transformed. The only evidence was her heightened senses and the two paws that came into view when she titled her head to the ground.

Her vision was red and it pulsated to the rhythm of her accelerated heartbeat, but the pulse only seemed to add a sort of sonar to her surroundings. It bounced off of the objects in her peripheral vision making them pop. Everything was crystal clear, everything was bright, and Elena had never felt more in control in her life.

Blood was pumping through her body and there was so much energy surging through her that Elena didn't want to waste another moment. She had a job to accomplish, not only for herself, but for everyone and especially for Bonnie. It was the least she could do to repay the witch for her actions.

So she grabbed her knapsack between her canines, pushed her pads against the ground, and launched herself through the front door. She then took off into the forest, praying to whoever would listen that she made it to Tyrus in time.

* * *

Damon slowly steadied himself into a walk as he approached the main entrance of Tyrus. It was still in complete shambles from his and Elena's exit the night before. Apparently cleaning up their destruction hadn't been the vampire's top priority and Damon chuckled to himself as he stepped over the mess.

The irony that he'd found himself back in this city couldn't be ignored. He'd never liked it here, even when he belonged in the vampire society, and yet he kept coming back. Something about this placed always pulled him back in.

Tyler arrived seconds later, clearly winded from the trip, as he changed into his human state. "Man, you're fast. It was difficult keeping up," the boy commented; part awestruck and partially jealous.

"You can blame Elena for that," Damon answered automatically without glancing in the wolf's direction. As his eyes drifted around the outskirts of Tyrus, Damon was very aware of the fact that Elena's blood was still in his system. He was amazed it was still present and secretly he wondered how long the effects would last. Hopefully long enough to aid in saving Caroline.

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked, taking a step forward and placing himself next to Damon.

But Damon shook his head dejectedly and answered, "Never mind." His eyes were roaming the city and he could focus on nothing but how vacant the place was. It looked like a ghost town and if he imagined hard enough, he could picture a tumble weed blowing across the main street that led straight to the castle.

There was no one, not a single person, but of course there wouldn't be. No one could take a step outside, but they were still here. Damon could hear the surviving vampires inside of their cottages and homes and he momentarily relished the thought that were trapped inside. At least it made this portion of their mission a piece of cake.

"This place is eerily deserted," Tyler observed, pulling Damon from his state of mind.

"It just looks that way," Damon replied with one last glance at the surrounding cottages with the boarded up windows. He then turned to focus his attention on Tyler, only to immediately shield his eyes.

He threw the kids clothes at him and chastised, "If you're gonna remain in your human state, make sure to keep these on at all times."

Damon heard Tyler chuckle and the faint rustle of clothes as the boy started dressing himself.

"Does bare skin make you uncomfortable?" Tyler asked in a mocking tone.

"Just yours," Damon quipped back as he lowered his hand and noticed a fully dressed Tyler before him.

"Better?" Tyler asked with his hands in the air; looking for approval.

"At least you're tolerable now," Damon answered. "Come on." He then picked up his pace as he made his way towards the castle entrance.

Apparently Bonnie had been correct; the castle was empty. There had been no sign of life when they stepped through the front entryway. This hadn't surprised Damon since the colossal opening bore no doors, allowing light to shine through. But as they made their way further into the structure where light wasn't a factor, he'd been shocked to neither hear nor see anyone.

They were completely alone and the place was silent except for Tyler's erratic heartbeat.

But as they turned the last corner and took the steps down into the dungeon, Damon knew that was about to change. Surely if Bonnie had been correct about the vacant castle, she was going to be correct about the single guard hovering around Caroline; not that this frightened Damon in the least. He could handle a measly guard, no matter who they were.

He hesitantly made his way down the row of cellars with Tyler in tow, peered into the last one on the left and was shocked by the sight. Caroline was strapped to a chair and in terrible condition. Her skin was nearly translucent and the thin layer of sweat across her skin made it crystal that she was starving. She was clearly deteriorating. The fact that her eyes were closed, terrified Damon more than he expected because in this state he couldn't tell if she was still alive or not.

Damon was shocked to see no guard present and instantly flashed beside Caroline. At the sound, her eyes fluttered open as she peered up at him through heavy lids. There was the faintest trace of a smile on her lips as she deadpanned, "I'm ready to leave with you now."

Damon shook his head and chuckled at her joke. This was the reason he was here and it was amazing actually hearing that a portion of Caroline was still inside of her battered body.

He smirked at the vamp and replied, "You look like shit," as he wrapped his hands around the ropes keeping her in place.

But as soon as he made contact, it felt like acid had been poured onto his hands. They started to sting and Damon had to pull them back. His eyes widened as he focused his attention on the areas the ropes connected with Caroline's skin. They were worn raw; pieces of skin were hanging from her body and light smoke was drifting into the air.

"Vervain," she explained in a hoarse voice as Tyler stepped into the cellar.

"I can get those," he offered, but Caroline scrunched up her nose.

"He smells awful, Damon," she declared disdainfully. "You leave for one night and you've already found yourself a pack?"

"Just a stray," he retorted with a toothy grin in her direction. He loved hearing her speak of Tyler that way and already he could tell that their trip back to Bonnie's cottage would be much more enjoyable than the trip here. "But at least he can get those ropes off of you."

"Finally," she exasperated as Tyler stepped closer to her and began undoing the knots. The entire time, Caroline kept her nose scrunched and her eyes scorched with nothing other than hatred. Her body remained stiff as Tyler stretched across her chest to undo a knot on her other hand, placing his neck directly in front of her face.

Damon saw the hunger flash across her expression before she instantly pushed it back down and hid the desire altogether. He sighed, knowing this was why Tyler had obviously wanted to come and couldn't deny that Caroline needed a meal in order to regain her strength.

It made his stomach drop because he knew what drinking from somehow had the capability of producing. He didn't want Caroline sharing an emotional connection with anyone right now, let alone this mutt. But her condition needed to improve, vastly, and this was the only option they had at the moment.

As Tyler undid the last rope around Caroline's leg, she attempted to lift herself from the chair only to fall back into it. Her strength was even worse than Damon initially thought and it was then he released another irritated sigh.

He was just about to give Caroline the bad news when Tyler placed his hands on both of her shoulders and suggested, "You need to drink or else we're not going to be able to get you out of here."

She shook her head through the air and asked, "Who the hell do you expect me to drink from? I don't see any humans lining up for the job."

Feeling relieved that he wasn't the one having to supply this order; Damon crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall to watch the show.

"Me," Tyler answered without missing a beat.

But Caroline's eyes widened in horror as she spat back, "There is no fucking way I'm drinking from you. First, you smell like a dead carcass and second, I'm not exactly an advocate for your kind."

Impressed with his best friend, Damon nearly keeled over in enjoyment. He knew he should have been focused on getting them out of that cellar as quickly as possible and back to safety but this was just too priceless. He couldn't cut this act short.

He watched as disappointment and rejection slipped down Tyler's face and almost felt sorry for the boy; _almost_.

The boy shook his head slowly through the air and stressed, "You already said it before; I'm your only option because there isn't exactly a line of humans forming at the door eager to tap a vein for you."

Caroline narrowed her eyes and replied, "If you're my only option, I'll take feeling like shit over you any day."

"Please stop acting like a spoiled child," Tyler pleaded. He shoved his arm into the air and pushed his wrist against her lips, but Caroline tilted her head to the side and cringed. She looked as though contact with Tyler was the closest to death she could fathom, even despite the situation he'd just rescued her from. "Just drink so we can get you out of here."

As much as Damon wanted to sit back and watch this pathetically amusing form of entertainment, he wasn't sure how long they had before the guard came back to watch over Caroline. He rolled his eyes, pushed himself from the wall and took a few steps towards the two.

"Caroline, I know it's going to suck, but you do need to get your strength back," Damon explained.

"I'd rather you carry me out yourself than drink from him," she shot back.

Damon once again crossed his arms over his chest and reasoned, "The thought of being a damsel in distress is revolting to you; you and I both know that."

Caroline rolled her eyes, clearly defeated for a moment and Damon knew it, before she recomposed herself and countered, "Not as revolting as drinking from him."

Damon sighed in irritation. He couldn't believe he was going to admit this, but here went nothing. "Tyler's right, you're acting like a spoiled child. We just came all of this way and the least you could do is help make it easier on us.

Her eyes narrowed, but her voice held a twinge of sadness as she pleaded, "I don't want to, Damon."

Damon didn't like pushing Tyler's blood down Caroline's throat, but he was going to if he had to. Still there was one last thing he could give her in order to make her see the importance of consuming Tyler's blood.

He dropped his hands to his side and got closer to Caroline. He lowered his voice to a soothing volume and explained, "Werewolf blood is exactly what you need right now. Elena's blood gives me a different kind of strength than I'm used to. Everything's accelerated and that's exactly what you need. Just please, drink the blood."

Caroline huffed and rolled her eyes at this argument. Damon could see she was pissed beyond belief, but her resistant fire was gone. Instead it was now directed straight towards him as she narrowed her eyes and declared, "You're an ass."

Damon couldn't help but smile at her remark as he countered, "But one that's going to save your life."

Caroline rolled her eyes one last time before she focused them on Tyler and ordered, "Fine, give me your damn arm."

Tyler lifted it with a boyish grin on his face as she pierced her fangs through the skin of his wrist. Caroline's expression revealed nothing but disgust as she took the first few pulls from Tyler's bloodstream and instantly Damon felt relief drift through his body.

But then her expression changed into a state of confusion and her eyes peered up towards Tyler's face. Her grey-blue irises seemed to almost twinkle as they became more vibrant and they revealed that she was nothing but downright wonderstruck.

Damon grunted at the transition and started grinding his teeth together as Caroline's eyes closed and he heard her release a slight moan against Tyler's wrist. The boy looked downright thrilled as she lifted her hands to wrap them around his arm and took another sip.

Damon wanted nothing more than to stop that act abruptly because there was no fucking way this could possibly be happening. He feared it, of course, but never actually expected his best friend to feel something for this mutt. But it _was_ happening and it took all of his restraining will to keep from ripping the boy's wrist right out of her mouth. If Caroline didn't need more blood, he would have done just that.

He was still drowning in his disappoint and revulsion towards the action playing out right in front of him when a familiar voice sounded from behind.

"I step away for a quick bite from your friend Alaric for 5 minutes and that was all it took for you to show up."

Damon whipped around and came face to face with the bitch he thought was dead. Katherine was standing before him, swiping away a trail of blood from the corner of her lips with a cocky smirk.

He didn't even have time to think about the fact that Ric should have been long gone from this hell hole because all he could focus on was the fact that Katherine was no longer supposed to be an issue. Seeing this bitch was the last thing he wanted to do today.

"I stepped over your dead body. How the hell are you alive?" Damon heatedly asked.

Katherine narrowed her eyes seductively and twirled a ribbon of her hair between her fingertips. "C'mon, Damon, you should know better than anyone that you have to remove a vampire's heart in order to kill them."

Damon was mentally cursing his foolishly rookie mistake when Katherine's hand landed on her cocked out hip and she assessed, "Maybe all of these new friends have made you soft."

"Screw you, Katherine," Damon shot back. "I don't mind killing you again."

She released a wicked laugh into the air and taunted, "I'd like to see you try. I wouldn't mind one last chance to get my hands all over you before you die."

Damon was about to fire out a come-back when he noticed Tyler remove his wrist from Caroline's mouth and begin to step beside him. Damon shot his hand up into the air and ordered, "I can handle this, just keep helping Caroline."

Tyler shot him a skeptical look and questioned, "Are you sure?"

Damon never expected Tyler's loyalty to have an effect on him, but at that second, the concern he saw in the boy's eyes struck some chord inside of him. He actually found himself grateful that the boy was willing to help, but he kept the emotion inside as he nodded his head and answered, "Yeah."

He then turned his head back around in Katherine's direction and launched himself at her before the bitch could suspect he was coming. This was going to be easy. Elena's blood was rushing through him and combined with his abilities, Katherine was going to be lying in a heap on the floor in seconds. And this time, he'd remove the manipulative vamp's heart and make sure she stayed that way.

As he suspected, he'd caught her off guard and was able to latch his hand around her throat instantly before sending her smashing against the stone wall of the cellar. She tumbled to the ground and immediately placed herself back on two feet.

She snarled and flipped a few spirals of hair behind her shoulder before she charged back at him. But Katherine was easy to deflect. He stepped out of her way and as she charged past him, he gripped onto locks of her treasured hair and pulled her back against him.

Damon then threw himself against the wall, slamming her into the stone, and edged his forearm up under her chin. He added pressure to her neck and sunk his free hand through the skin of her chest. His fingers has just clamped down on her heart when he felt a prick on his left side.

The pain started in that centralized location before it quickly spread to every limb of his body. Then the agony transitioned until Damon couldn't move at all. His extremities became rigid and he felt himself fall against Katherine. She brushed her hand through his hair and whispered into his ear, "It's just a little vervain, sweetie. It'll all be over soon."

Her hand trailed down the side of his face and swept under his chin before Damon felt it clench onto the skin covering his heart. Katherine paused a second, almost as if she regretted the decision to kill him before it even happened, when a flash of fur came between them.

Damon tumbled backwards only to see a grey wolf connect with Katherine's jugular. Its jaw was clenched onto Katherine's throat as they both fell to the ground. Katherine flailed and screamed, more like gurgled, as blood spat from her mouth.

Then Tyler appeared and shoved his hand straight through Katherine's chest before ripping the black object back out. The vamp slumped to the ground as a deadly gray spread over her skin and her thick veins protruded. She was certainly dead this time.

Confused, Damon looked from Tyler to the grey wolf in an attempt to understand what the hell had just happened. Despite the color of the wolf's fur, its eyes were a beautiful chocolate brown. They were so warm that Damon instantly felt it under his skin. Then his eyes landed on the rope necklace tied around its neck. There were bits of white showing through the rope and the size of the contained object was unmistakably familiar.

He felt his breath hitch in his throat as he whispered, "Elena?"

And before his eyes, she transitioned into the girl he knew. Except she was even more radiant than before. She was utterly beautiful with her chestnut hair cascading down the sides of her shoulders and her familiar chocolate orbs gazing back at him. Her olive skin looked remarkable and he'd never been more in love with her.

He was still gazing at her beauty when she looked at him sheepishly, reluctantly, and whispered, "Hi, Damon."

* * *

_**Please read and review. :)**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

**First, I finally caved and made a tumblr account. I'll be posting updates about my stories and also ideas for new ones on there. If you want to follow me, the url is in my profile****. ****And if you want me to follow you, just shoot me a private message.**

**Second, I've realized just how close I've gotten to the end of this story and I'm sad to say that there will probably only be about 2 chapters after this one. It could extend into a third, but will more than likely remain just two.**

**And Third, I know I promised action in this chapter, but I decided to give you a little bit of something else. That being said, I can absolutely guarantee that the next chapter will be filled with action to make up for the lack in this one. Sorry to those of you that were looking forward to it this time.**

_**Hope you like it. :)**_

* * *

The heat rushed under Elena's cheeks as Damon continued to stare at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face. She couldn't quite place the proper emotions on the expression, but as she fumbled with her sack and pulled out the lilac dress, she was hopeful that she'd been correct in assuming awe was one of them.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked as she began to slip the fabric over her skin.

"Saving your life, apparently," she replied defensively as the fabric fell down to her knees. She should have expected the question and the pointed way it left his lips, but it wasn't what she wanted to address at the moment. All she really wanted to know was what the heck was going through Damon's mind about her new change.

But tossing her own desires aside, she sighed, made her way over to him and wrapped her arms around Damon's body. "I'm glad you're okay."

He feebly lifted his arm to rub soothing strokes down her back and stated, "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see you, but you're not supposed to be here. How did you," he started before he broke off and correct himself. "Why did you come?"

"Because Bonnie pulled off her final part of the plan," Tyler interrupted from behind them.

Elena quickly pulled away from Damon to whip around and look at Tyler as she accused, "You knew this was going to happen?"

"Knew what was going to happen?" Damon questioned from his position on the floor.

Elena's eyes remained transfixed on Tyler's for the longest second, searching for anymore answers the boy could offer up or at least some help explaining the answer to Damon's question, before she realized he wasn't going to speak.

Feeling slightly betrayed, she turned back around to face Damon and hoped like hell he wouldn't judge her for what she was about to reveal. Because it was one thing showing up unexpected as a wolf in a city he didn't want her in, but it was another to admit she'd killed their ally in order to do so.

She took a deep breath as she lowered herself to his level and confessed, "Bonnie asked me to take her life so that I could transition and be here because there's a bigger reason behind coming back to the city than simply saving Caroline."

"That being," he pushed impatiently and Elena was almost taken aback by the lack of judgment flickering across his eyes.

She took another heavy sigh as relief, over the first issue, worked its way through her system and declared, "We need to take down the vampire army."

That declaration resulted in a sign of life through Damon's previously stiff limbs. Although his legs remained immobile, his arms were whizzing through the air as he refuted, "No fucking way!"

"I can barely move, Caroline just got her strength back and there's no way I'm letting the two of you," he continued as his eyes darted between Elena and Tyler, "take down a crowd of trained vampires on your own. It's too dangerous."

"We won't need to get anywhere near them,' Elena reasoned. "Bonnie told me I needed to light the training center on fire. All I have to do is shoot an arrow into the crowd and they'll burn up in flames."

But Damon's head shook through the air as he countered, "First off, that won't kill them. Katherine was first hand proof that fire doesn't kill a vampire. We'd need to go in and remove each and every single one of their hearts in the process. And secondly, they're not just going to stand around while they roast like charred filets; they'll try and escape."

His head went back and forth through the air as he finally lost a little bit of steam and asked, "How do you even plan on keeping them trapped?"

"I don't know, Damon" Elena responded as her confidence slowly deflated. The points he'd made were valid and she realized she hadn't given this plan much thought at all. She was still positive that it could work if they all put their minds together, but she wasn't sure how to get Damon on their side.

"All I know is that this is a way to end the war," she finally blurted out. "We have the opportunity to do that; right here and now. Bonnie gave her life so we could do this and Demetra did too. If they didn't believe we were capable, then why would they have sacrificed themselves for a lost cause?"

She saw a few pieces crumble from Damon's resistance as his chiseled expression fell. "This plan has suicide written all over it," he said after a long pause.

"And it wouldn't be the first one you've taken part in," Caroline interrupted from behind Elena.

The sound of the vamp's voice had Elena turning around as her eyes swept over the revived vampire. She wanted nothing more than the slip her arms around the female because she was just so indescribably happy to see her again; especially after everything that had happened since their last encounter.

At the sight of her, Caroline's face lit up with a conceited smirk as her arms laced across her chest. "Looking good, Elena. Transitioning really suits you."

"Thanks," Elena replied, slightly taken aback. "I'm surprised to hear to say that; actually."

Caroline shrugged her shoulders and mused, "Well, my stance on wolves seems to be changing." Her eyes then drifted towards Tyler and Elena momentarily wondered what she'd missed before taking Katherine down. The look in Caroline's eyes was similar to the way Damon looked at _her_, but she didn't have much time to consider the thought before Caroline spoke up again.

"But I'm with Elena on this one," she declared as her eyes directed themselves towards Damon. "Those bastards tied me to a chair and shot me full of vervain. They deserve to rot in hell."

* * *

Damon couldn't believe this was actually happening. It was difficult enough trying to refute Elena, but there was no way he'd win this argument if the girls tag teamed him.

But giving it his best shot, he shot Caroline an incredulous look and scoffed, "I get that you're pissed, Caroline, but this isn't going to be easy. There are two entrances to the training center and even if we were all at our prime, there's no way we'd be able to stop them from escaping."

"You _know_ I'm better than prime now since Tyler gave me his blood and once you drink from Elena, we'll be ready to ask the wolves for help."

Damon didn't understand how Caroline, of all people, could switch from hating the wolf species one second to wanting their help the next. It was completely absurd, and besides, he had no idea which wolves she was referring to.

So, continuing his thoughts out loud, he heatedly asked, "Which wolves?"

"The ones locked away for your training sessions," she replied confidently. "I'm pretty sure they'll have no problem taking down the bastards that have been torturing them for the past few years."

"Me being one of those bastards," he interjected as his mind raced its way to the stable located just outside of the castle, currently housing at least two dozen pissed off werewolves. There was no fucking way he planned on releasing animals that he'd been torturing throughout the years because there was no way in hell that'd go over well.

But Caroline stood her ground and refuted, "Then Tyler and I will talk to them. We can explain what we plan on doing and that we're working together towards a common goal."

Damon had long since become irritated with his position on the floor, but with another failed attempt of lifting himself he slumped back down and sarcastically replied, "Which would be great except for the fact that they can't change at will."

That stopped Caroline in her tracks. She shot him a disbelieving look and asked, "What do you mean?"

But before he had time to respond, Tyler interrupted. "Actually, that won't be a problem. Tonight's a full moon." And if it were possible, Damon could have killed him right then and there with the heat blazing behind his eyes.

"But Bonnie specifically told me that time was of the essence and that we needed to do this before sundown," Elena clarified and Damon let out a relief-filled sigh. He knew they weren't on the same team at the moment, but at least she offered something that could aid him in his argument.

Tyler's hand shot out into the air as he reasoned, "Bonnie didn't know everything; she just saw glimpses in her visions that helped her piece everything together. So from here on out, we're going to have to figure things out on our own."

"Can someone please explain to me why the wolves can't transition at will?" Caroline asked impatiently, obviously still pissed off she hadn't received an answer to her initial question.

But Damon ignored her and added in a raised voice, "And can someone explain to me how we're going to convince the wolves not to kill me once we release them?" Because frankly it was the only move he still had left. Everyone was uniting against his opinion on this whole charade and he felt even more powerless than before as he struggled to lift himself from the floor.

That's when he finally managed to gain Elena's attention. She made her way over to him, lowered herself to his level and placed her hands on both sides of his face as she reasoned, "You seem to forget that I've been running with my kind for the past six years and I know that they want this war to end more than anything. That _want_ is going to overpower everything in them, even the hatred they feel towards you. And once we stand united in front of them, they'll understand that you're on their side."

"You're way too certain about this," Damon assessed with a slight shake of his head.

"And you're way too skeptical," Tyler shot back from across the room.

Damon narrowed his eyes and loaded an insult in the back of his throat before Elena forced his face to look back at only her. "Trust, Damon; I know it's hard, but that's what I need from you right now."

Elena's orbs were pleading and Damon hated admitting to himself that he'd forever be powerless against their effect on him, but he couldn't deny it. She had a pull over him unlike any other and even when he thought her decisions were absurd, he'd always cave.

His body was relaxed by her touch as he let out a huge breath of air and said, "Okay. Saying that we're able to get the wolves on our side, how do we know for the sure that everyone's in the training center?"

His eyes then drifted towards Tyler as he reminded, "You said it yourself; Bonnie didn't know everything. So she could just as easily be wrong about this."

But Caroline was the one who spoke up as her hands jolted through the air. "Whoever the hell this Bonnie chick is; she's right."

Damon then focused his attention on the vamp as she continued, "Elijah knows Demetra was behind whatever sunlight issue we seem to be having, but he also knew she couldn't have done this on her own. She needed help and who do you think popped into his mind first?"

"Me," Damon inserted appropriately.

Caroline nodded her head in confirmation. "Bingo; especially after you tipped off Ric to leave the castle the day of the event."

The memory of himself compelling Ric to ask for a few days off drifted across his mind as Damon asked, "How does Elijah know that?"

Caroline scoffed and remarked, "He's not an idiot, Damon, and since you were the last person to see Ric before he asked to leave, it was easy for Elijah to put two and two together."

"Understandable," Damon agreed with a slight cock of his head, "but what does this have to do with our kind being in the training center?"

"Just that Elijah's seen the way you become attached," she answered as her eyes drifted in Elena's direction. "He needed to keep his soldiers in one location for safety precautions, but he wasn't going to do it without leverage."

Understanding smacked Damon across the face as his eyes broke to the floor and he put the pieces together. "So Ric's in the training center with the soldiers because Elijah figured I'd come back for him."

"Not just Ric, but every slave in the castle," she corrected. "You see, Elijah needed leverage, but the soldiers still need to eat and there was no way he was leaving the slaves unattended. The risk of them sprinting for safety was too big of a risk for that."

"Then we can't go through with this plan," Tyler interrupted softly, shocking Damon as well as the two girls in the room.

All eyes were on the wolf kid as he explained, "I can't justify killing humans in the process of ending this war. Their safety is the whole reason we're stopping it in the first place."

But the cranks in Damon's head were already rotating and a new plan was already being established. He couldn't believe that just seconds ago he'd been against this mission entirely and now he was going to be the one to stress its actual execution, but Ric was involved now. And unfortunately Elijah was right.

He used to be someone completely shut off from everyone; completely devoid of attachments because they were a weakness. Damon knew the latter part of that was still correct, but it was the first part that had changed. He cared, more than he wanted to admit and it was the reason he kept throwing himself into the line of danger; to save the people he cared about. First with Elena, then with Caroline, and now with Ric.

He'd been lucky enough to make it out alive so far, but he refused to fear that he wouldn't this time. Because Ric needed to be saved.

So, he lifted his head up high and declared, "Yes we can. We just need to rework the plan a bit."

All three people in the room stared back at him with skeptical expressions painted across their faces, but Damon ignored them and asked, "Elena, how many arrows do you have?"

She shot him a questioning look before she fumbled around in her sac and replied, "Three."

Damon nodded his head and stated, "Alright; that can work." He then focused his attention on the wolf kid and questioned, "Tyler, do you really think that you can get the wolves on our side?"

"Absolutely," Tyler answered after some brief hesitating. "But I'm not going through with this if the slaves are going to be harmed."

But Damon shook his head and explained, "They won't, because we're not going to start a fire that consumes the entire place, we're just going to start one in the back corner and force everyone out towards us."

"You really think that we can handle that many vampires on our own?" Elena asked skeptically.

He sighed at her skepticism and responded, "On our own, no. But with the wolves guarding the second entrance, we should be alright."

He hated admitting they needed the wolves help, but he couldn't deny that truth. But if they were helping with this mission, then he was making sure they were staying as far away from him as possible. This ordeal was going to be difficult enough without him having to watch his back in case a wolf decided to go rogue.

Damon then glanced at the faces around the room, looking for confidence, but found none. Instead their faces revealed nothing but skepticism. He figured that after their valiant efforts to originally set this plan in motion that they'd at least be behind it now, but it appeared that wasn't the case at all.

Feeling remarkably disappointed in their changes of heart, he urged, "We can do this and no humans will have to get hurt in the process. It's not going to be easy, but if this is the way to end the war then we at least have to try."

He then paused to let them absorb his information before he insisted, "But if we're going to do this, then we need to start rolling out the plan. Nightfall is just around the corner and we don't want to give Elijah and his troops a chance to escape before we get there."

Patience had never really been one of Damon's strengths, but he pushed his limits as he waited for the three remaining parties in the room to make their decisions. They exchanged a few nervous glances until finally Elena spoke up.

"I'm behind you," she declared. "If you think we can do this, then I trust you."

"Then so am I," Tyler inserted second.

There was the longest silence as they waited on Caroline's decision. The minutes seemed to stretch on for days before she finally released a huff and conceded. "Fine; if you're all in then so am I. But only if someone explains to me why wolves can no longer change at will. Apparently, things happened since you left the city and I want to know exactly what's going on."

Damon's eyes instantly latched on to Elena's. Because there were so many things that Caroline still needed to know about the future and how it revolved around the two of them. But Bonnie had said to be careful and although he trusted Caroline with their carrier information, he wanted to make sure it was alright with Elena first.

She nodded her head approvingly before he waved Caroline over. As she made her way over to him, Damon dug his hand into his pocket, pulled out the ring Bonnie had given him, and handed it to Caroline. She eyed it suspiciously as he explained, "Tyler will fill you in on everything while you make your way to the wolves. But right now you need to get going. Once I feed on Elena, we'll meet you at the western entrance of the training center."

"Okay," she replied as her fingers tightened around the ring. She then turned to look back at Tyler, who'd already started making his way towards the exit, and added, "Just be careful."

"And you just make sure those wolves are on our side," he responded. "I'm trusting you with this; please don't make me regret it."

There was the faintest trace of a scoff as Caroline's eyes rolled under her lids and she retorted, "When have I ever let you down?"

Damon felt his signature smirk creep across his lips as he teased, "Never. But let's keep it that way."

That resulted in one last eye roll from Caroline before she followed Tyler and slipped her way through the cellar door.

* * *

Elena felt relieved as soon as the pair left the room. She finally had a moment alone with Damon before everything went down in the training center and she couldn't have been more grateful. And as Damon's eyes turned from the door and latched on to hers, it was clear as day that he felt the same way.

He shot her a heart-melting smile and said, "Thank you for backing my decision earlier."

"I always will," she declared after a quick shrug because it was the truth. She'd back him no matter what and he'd do the exact same for her.

"And I'm sorry you had to go through the transition alone," he said before his focus drifted down to the floor. "I should have been there," he added as his crystal orbs repositioned themselves back on her. The expression on his face revealed nothing but how much he meant it.

"It's okay," she replied just as earnestly. At any other point, she would have opened up to him about the experience, but not when time was of the essence. So, she felt another shrug roll through her shoulders as she explained, "Bonnie was sorta there actually."

She watched confusion spread over his face before she shook her head and declared, "But we can talk about this another time. What matters is that I'm here and that we get you up to full speed."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he replied softly. Damon then lifted his hand towards the cellar door and explained, "I didn't want them to be around when I drank from you. We both know what it does to us."

Then he winked at her and she was pretty damn sure her knees were going to buckle from the memory of their first and second time executing this very act. But more important than the memory was the way Damon was acting when it was just the two of them and how it portrayed the lack of affect her transition had on swaying his love for her.

Damon was still just as smitten as ever and as she felt her heart expanded a few sizes in her chest, Elena made her way to his side. She then lowered herself onto the floor and agreed, "The act _does_ get pretty intimate."

"Far too intimate for an audience," he purred as he pulled her into his lap. He then placed a few kisses along her jawline and Elena instantly felt heat spread through her body from the contact.

There was a pull of air along her neck as Damon took in her scent and before Elena could help herself, she questioned, "Doesn't my aroma smell terrible to you now?"

Damon didn't break from his location on her neck as he whispered against her skin, "You still smell as remarkable as ever to me. That's never going to change."

"But you hate the smell of wolves," she countered as her eyes rolled into her head.

At that, he pulled his face back and waited for her lids to reopen before he slipped the back of his hand down her cheek and countered, "Do I smell terrible to you?"

"No," she responded automatically. "But that's because I love you."

"And what do you think I feel for you?" he reasoned softly. "Just because you've transitioned doesn't mean that you smell any different to me. Your aroma will always be able to pull me under."

The sound of his voice was so velvety, so smooth, that instantly tingles had spread across the top layer of her skin. "And my blood?" Elena insisted with a seductive glint in her eyes.

"Does more than just pull me under," he practically growled out as his voiced dropped a few octaves and his eyes adjusted a few shades darker.

It was only a matter of mere seconds before the veins etched themselves across his face and his fangs dipped below his upper lip, revealing his innermost cravings. Elena wasn't sure if he looked more beautiful like this or in his relaxed state, but either way resulted in the oxygen being ripped straight from her lungs.

Her heartbeat was racing a mile as minute as she fought to keep her voice level and suggested, "Then what are you waiting for?"

That was all it took for Damon's fangs to slip into the skin of her neck and immediately fire consumed her body. It started at the tips of her toes as she curled them under and made its way up her limbs, working its way to her core. It was the most powerful there and when a moan threatened to escape her lips, she didn't try to fight it off. Instead she let her head fall back as Damon's fingers dug into her back and released it into the damp air.

Then her hands slid up his back and latched onto the base strands of hair at the nape of his neck. She twined them through her fingers and pulled him further against her as he took another sip from her bloodstream.

She wasn't sure how it was possible, but with each pull from her liquid line, the fire burning inside seemed to increase with heat. And when she felt his stiff member bulge at the base of her butt, practically begging from the moment to escalate, she had to fight off every desire to let it.

Because as amazing as the experience felt and as much as she wanted to slide onto him right then and there, they unfortunately didn't have the time. And although it would have been easy to pretend there weren't more important issues than their caged sex drives, they both understood there were. They only had a few moments before they needed to meet up with Caroline and Tyler. But that didn't mean that they couldn't enjoy the few spared moments they had.

So as lust started leaking from her center and Elena's legs began to tremble on top of Damon's, Elena knew she was inches from release. Her breathing accelerated as well as her heart rate and within seconds, she was launched right out of the musty dungeon. She momentarily soared from the impending doom just hovering outside of their vision and into a moment that was simply hers.

The orgasm ripped through her, sending her body into a trembling spell, before she finally came back down to reality. But when she opened her eyes, all she could see was Damon and she realized reality wasn't that bad after all.

There were a few droplets of blood on his lower lip and before she could help herself, Elena licked her tongue from the base and slid it into his mouth. It met Damon's as they swirled together and Elena begged that the moment could just last for eternity. Because this was right where she wanted to be- with Damon; in their own private world. Not the one they were escaping from. She just wanted this.

And when he slowly pulled away, it was that longing that made her ask, "Do you think we're going to make it through this?" Because she couldn't bear the thought of this being the last intimate moment she had with him.

But he just smiled back at her with that familiar, dazzling love shining from his eyes and answered, "Yes. And besides, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'll be right by your side the entire time."

"And I'll be by yours," she declared as his lips once again closed the distance and pressed against hers.

This time, the kiss lasted a mere second, but still held as much passion behind it, before they pulled apart and Elena asked the inevitable, "Are you ready to go?"

"I'm good now," Damon responded, somewhat reluctantly, with a slight nod of his head. He then raised Elena to her feet before lifting himself from the floor and they hastily made their way towards the training center.

It didn't take long to maneuver their way throughout the passageways of the castle and all too soon Caroline and Tyler came into view. As they approached the pair's side, a smirk slid across Caroline's lips as she dipped herself into a curtsey.

"Carriers," she mocked softly.

But Damon ignored her dig and whispered, "Are the wolves behind us?"

Caroline lifted herself back upright, crossed her arms over her chest and released a long, despairing sigh. "No, they're not behind us."

Elena had just started to sense the first bits of fear trickle their way through her veins when Caroline's expression changed and she smirked at him. "They've transitioned and they're waiting in the other entryway. God, you're so easy."

As Caroline released a few hushed giggled, Elena noticed Damon clench his fingers into fists. She had just lifted her hand to sooth his temper when he threatened, "If I didn't need your help today, I'd snap your neck right here and now."

Caroline lifted her eyebrows at him and teased, "You keep saying that, but I'm still waiting for you to actually do it."

Damon rolled his eyes at her comment and jotted an index finger into her chest. "One of these days… it's going to happen."

"Alright guys, enough of this," Tyler interrupted with an eye roll of his own before they repositioned themselves in Elena's direction. "Are you ready to get this started?"

And the fear came back as a tidal wave this time. There was no trickle as it swept its way through her veins and she momentarily doubted herself. But then Damon was in her face with his supportive hands against each cheek. "You can do this," he assured with conviction and she felt the waves begin to recede.

She then took a deep breath and pulled the bow and arrows from her knapsack as Damon reminded, "Remember to transition right after you shoot the arrows. I'll be at your side the moment you release them."

"Got it," Elena vaguely heard herself reply through the jackhammering of her own heartbeat in her ears. She placed the first arrow into the holder and hesitantly made her way around the stone corner and looked directly onto the sea of vampire's in the training center.

The place was gigantic. There were easily a hundred filling the dark area and she nearly faltered from the overwhelming amount, but then she noticed the humans huddled together in the center of the waving sea of bodies. They were terrified and most had gashes and bloody wounds along their bodies. And that image was all Elena needed to find the strength to lift the bow against her shoulder and pull her finger back.

She felt the string pull just as Elijah's familiar face turned and took in the sight of her. But as his eyes went wide and his lips parted to announce the intrusion, she released the string and the first arrow took flight.

* * *

_**Please read and review. :)**_


	19. Chapter 19

**After writing this chapter, I know for certain now that there will only be one after it. Sorry to those of you that asked me to stretch it into three.**

**Also, I tried to include as much action in this one as I could and I really hope it's easy to follow. If not, I apologize; I'm still getting used to writing action scenes.**

_**I hope you like it.**_

* * *

Time seemed to just stop as the arrow soared its way through the air with precision; creating a distinct humming sound along its course. It seemed to take it's time getting to the other side of the training center before it collided with the female vampire in the back corner. But in reality, contact had been made within a matter of milliseconds before the eruption of heat and light engulfed the area, taking out the six or seven surrounding vampires in the process.

Elena could feel it even from her distance and she momentarily feared the safety of the human slaves trapped amidst the now frantic body of vampires. Their screams, shrieks, and overall panic was all she could hear, but she didn't waste time focusing on it. Instead she loaded another arrow into her bow and pulled the string back, releasing it towards the other back corner of the room.

It produced the same result, but this time, the mass of bodies had followed the trajectory of the arrow, leading it right back to her. Startled and downright pissed off faces were directed on only her now as she fumbled to grab the last arrow. Her fingers tightened around it just as a stampede of ferocious vamps came for her.

Elena could feel her heartbeat thumping heavily in her ears and she tried to just focus on the sounds above anything else. Her pulse rate was fast, but steady as it sounded in her head and flowed through the veins in her wrists. Its effect was somewhat soothing as she pulled the string back and sent the last arrow into the air.

This one was aimed in the center of the last two and it struck precisely where it was supposed to. A male vampire was the mark this time, but as his eyes went wide in fear and he exploded, at least 10 surrounding vampires had been caught in the line of impact.

Now, the entire back side of the room was a sight of flickering yellows, oranges, and reds. Smoke was billowing into the remainder and forcing everyone to make their way towards the two exits. Elena had exactly one second to breath and process her success before the herd of vamps was almost to her.

Horror was the only emotion her body seemed to possess as she took in their startling faces. Each one held the same deep black eyes, purple spider web veins, razor sharp fangs, and the determination of death.

But then without having to look for confirmation, she knew Damon was by her side. Her faith in his honor to follow his words and protect her wasn't even a factor. Her body could somehow react to simply his presence and instantly she felt calmer; more confident.

Her eyes remained focused solely on the impending vampires when she noticed Elijah wasn't one of them. She'd expected him to be the first at her throat since she was the one causing damage to his troops and the fact that he wasn't only managed to raise her concerns.

The vampires were a few steps away now when she found the courage to speak up. "Elijah saw me, Damon. He should be at the front of this group eager to bring us down."

To her surprise, he replied nonchalantly, "Don't worry about it." The statement had come with a startling sense of ease, but when she peeled her eyes from the vampires and solely to the one standing next to her, his expression did nothing but contradict his statement.

Damon was worried, just like she assumed he would be. They weren't stupid and Elijah wasn't either. Ric had been brought here as leverage and more than likely; Elijah was looking for the man that would ensure his safety out of this heat box. Elena wasn't sure what that meant for Damon's friend Ric, but she was pretty sure it wasn't anything good.

So, she pushed, "But what if he's gone after Ric?"

Damon released a heavy sigh just as the first enemy made contact. Damon deflected him easily with a swing of his hand. He clotheslined the vampire, twisting him backwards and sending the body smashing against the floor before he lowered himself and ripped out the heart.

_One down; only about 200 to go._

He clumsily dropped the black object onto the dirt ground below and growled out, "I said, don't worry about, Elena. Just transition before you get yourself killed."

A second vampire was by her side the moments the words left his lips. It was a female this time with long auburn hair down to her waist that tickled Elena's neck as she tried to take a snap. The vamp was unsuccessful of course because before she had the chance to sink her fangs in, Damon's hand had extended, ripping the vamp away from Elena.

She felt the rush of air as the body was removed from hers and before she knew it, Damon's hand had extended into the girl's chest, escaping with another heart. As the girl fell lifelessly to the earth below, Damon yelled, "Transition!"

This time, Elena did as she was told. Her dress shredded as her bones shifted and her skinned stretched. Fur replaced the lilac color of the fabric that had previously encompassed her skin and not a moment too soon.

Damon was now fighting off three vampires on his own. His hand was latched around the neck of one, the second around the other, and a third was on his back. His eyes locked onto hers and somehow Elena understood exactly what he needed her to do. Her pads pushed against the dirt as she rocketed herself in his direction, sinking her canines into the shoulder of the vampire on his back.

She flew over Damon and took the vampire down with her before they both smashed onto the ground. She could taste the sweet liquid from the vampire's wound flowing through her teeth, attacking her tongue. And with her paws keeping him plastered to the floor, she took another bite out of his shoulder. The vampire screamed, arms flailing and struggling to throw her body from his, before Damon swooped over; apparently finished with his two vamps. He swiftly stretched his hand underneath of her and removed the heart.

He quickly shot her a confident smirk and a slight raise of his brows. It's like she could read his mind or maybe it was just that she knew his expressions so well, but a voice in her head whispered smugly, "We're one hell of a force to be reckoned with."

And then he was gone; launching himself over her and colliding with another vampire. She swiveled her head to the side as another came into view and followed Damon's actions.

Everything then transitioned into a blur as they moved from one vampire to the next.

As promised, Damon was always just a few steps away from her. She could feel him at every turn. When she adjusted her position, he did the same and as a result they seemed to move more as a unit than anything else. They circled around each other. She'd take down a vamp only to have Damon swoop in and remove the heart before he returned to his own enemies. She wasn't blind and it was easy to see that for every single body she killed, he killed 3 or 4, but it didn't matter. And besides, her blood was the reason he was moving so efficiently.

They remained in the entryway, as previously decided, to ensure that numbers weren't an issue. In the tiny confinements of the hallway, only a handful of vampires came at them at one time, instead of the dozens that would have been able to in the space of the training center.

And Elena couldn't concentrate on them, but she could sense Caroline and Tyler fighting valiantly beside her and Damon. She could hear the shuffle of Tyler's paws against the dirt, the snap of vampire fangs, and the pulverizing of bone as Caroline's hand smashed through random sternums.

She could even smell the wolves in the other entryway. Their musk was faint, but it was enough to ensure the fact that they were there; fighting for the same reasons she was. And it was a result of all of these things that she felt strong. Elation was pumping through her veins with each tiny victory and she could almost taste their victory. The vampires were beginning to line the floor and it was very possible that everyone she cared about would survive this.

But all too soon the tables seemed to turn. Instead of the faint smell of her fellow species, an acidic quality consumed the air. The heavy, staining odor of smoke filled her airways and her eyes began to burn. The vampires storming in their direction no longer worried themselves with the mission of death; instead they only cared about getting through their line and into safety. It was then that Elena finally took a moment to focus past everything in her immediate safety zone and concentrate her attention on the training center.

At least half of the area was engulfed in flames. The surrounding stone walls were no longer steel grey, but instead illuminated with reflections of golds and ambers. Humans were still trapped inside and if they didn't move fast enough, the mortals would surely pass from the heat; if they hadn't started to already.

Her eyes went wide as she took in the sight and the howl building in her throat developed much too quickly to stop. It started at the back before it ran across the top of her tongue and escaped through her jaw; alerting Damon, Caroline, Tyler, and their wolf allies that their time was running out.

* * *

The howl was deep, much deeper than Damon ever assumed a sound escaping from Elena could reach. But there was also urgency in it and as a result his head snapped from the vampire in his grasp and towards the girl of his affection. Her chocolate orbs were focused on the heat behind his back and when he turned around, the sight was almost numbing.

Because he'd noticed the change in their enemy's objective, but he just assumed they'd figured his bunch was too much of a threat to try and take down anymore. He never realized it was because they were just simply trying to survive the building fire. But they were and it was at that moment that Damon mentally smacked himself across the head.

The dirt of the center was drenched in dried up blood from both species due to the countless hours spent killing during previous training sessions. It never occured to him that that blood would only act as fuel for the fire to spread, but it had, and much quicker than he ever anticipated.

Ric's image formed in his mind along with the other humans still trapped inside of the room and as a result his nerves lit up, sending a tremble rocketing through his body.

Time was of the essence and they weren't bringing down the vampires fast enough. Some were even getting closer and closer to breaking through and escaping.

"I don't know if we're going to get through this mess quick enough to save the humans," Caroline shouted as her hands snapped the neck of her enemy and his body fell to the floor.

She'd spoken his own fear, but Damon refused to let her see it reflected back from him. So, as Damon slammed a vamp against the wall and drove his hand through it's chest, he screamed back, "Then move faster!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" she yelled back in slight irritation and mild exhaustion. But her figure started to blur as she moved faster towards Tyler and threw off the enemy that previously had him in a chokehold.

Damon followed Caroline's lead and increased his speed; pushing himself to his limits. He could feel his breaking point approaching, but drove straight through it. He was merely a blur now as he swirled from one vampire to the next.

Elena was always one step away and even through the thick fog, he could see her perfectly. Her moves weren't nearly as fast as his, but it was clear to see she'd taken to her new form well. Her moves were precise and although she was a deadly predator to mess with, there was fluency about her motion that set her apart from the wolves he'd seen in the past.

She was born for this lifestyle, and he momentarily wondered if this had been another reason Demetra chose the two of them. Maybe it wasn't just their love, but maybe it was more so that their fires were matched. Of course they were matched when it came to how they felt about each other, but they were also matched in their abilities, in their determination, their strength, and their skill.

Elena was the closest equal to him that he could fathom and together, they truly were unstoppable.

This was proven as their number of causalities began stacking along the floor. Hardly any dirt was visible through the carnage now when a howl sounded from the other exit of the training center.

The howl was distinctly different from Elena's and as Damon focused his attention to the opposite passageway, he could see the reason behind the alarm. The vampire's escaping that side had managed to break through the wolf line. A steady stream of them made their way into the darkness of the castle and it was easy to tell the wolves needed additional help.

But they had no one to offer because the growing fire in the training center had sent the vampire's into a panicked, frantic mess. They were jumping over themselves, no longer worried about killing Damon and his group, and instead only on escaping the blaze behind them. The amount was too much to handle and within seconds their line had been breached.

Vampires poured from the ceiling above as they fought to escape over the wall they themselves had created. A few made it through, but Caroline caught them before they disappeared down another corridor. Still, the amount of enemies was beginning to become a problem.

Once again, Damon pushed himself to his limits. Elena seemed to pick up the pace right with him as they smashed through the wall of bodies and sent them toppling to the ground. This disoriented them enough to swoop down and pull out the hearts before the vampires even had a chance to regain their footing. Within a matter of seconds they'd successfully taken down the wall while Tyler and Caroline worked on the stragglers that managed to slip by.

They had the upper hand once again, and although there were still a few vamps left in their passageway, Damon felt confident enough to lose Caroline and Tyler as backup.

"The wolves need your help on the other side," he shouted back to Caroline as he hoisted an oncoming vamp over his shoulder and smashed him to the ground.

"We're not leaving you two here on your own," Caroline refuted.

Damon pulled out another black heart; by this time he'd stopped keeping count in his head since the number stepped over into triple digits.

He carelessly dropped it onto the ground and reasoned, "There's only a few left on this side and Elena and I can handle them. They've gotten through on the other side though and I need you two to track down the ones that got free. We can't have them escaping into the city. And we especially can't have them alerting the commoners about what's going on outside."

Caroline shot him an incredulous look. "You really think the commoners will get in on this? They don't even know how to fight."

Damon released a frustrated breath of air and refuted, "I have no idea. I just don't want to risk the possibility. So get moving!"

Her eyes shifted between him and Elena before she finally nodded her head in acceptance. Then she yelled, "Just be careful," before she made eye contact with Tyler and they both took off into the darkness of the castle.

Damon then turned his attention back onto Elena, who was fighting off two vampires on her own and doing one hell of a job at it. The fur on her back was sticking up in a straight line giving it a razorback effect and she'd never looked fiercer in his eyes. Her jaw was clenched around the throat of a blonde vamp while her claws scraped across the chest of another.

Damon couldn't help but smile. Clearly, she didn't need his help, but for the sake of speeding things along, he offered it anyway. He flashed to her side and had the two hearts removed before Elena could blink her grey covered lids. Her eyes narrowed in a playful threatening way before three more were on them.

Taking the enemy down was easy this time since the number had dwindled so rapidly. The only vamps they seemed to get were those frustrated with trying to get through the crowds at the other exit and before Damon knew it, they'd clear the entryway.

He and Elena wasted no time before storming into the training center and locating the group of slaves. They were huddled together in the right side, desperately trying to space themselves as far away from the encroaching flames as possible. Most were terrified beyond belief, but to his relief, they were all still relatively healthy. Unfortunately, Ric wasn't in the group, but Damon pushed his disappointment aside and quickly started barking out orders.

"We need to get them out of here as quickly as we can," he called to Elena.

Her head bobbed up at down in agreement, sending random wisps of fur flapping through the air. She started circling the bunch, herding them towards the exit, when Elijah's velvety accented voice sounded by the flames.

"They take another step towards that exit and I throw him into the fire," Elijah threatened.

Damon's head whipped around to take in the sight of Elijah with his hand clenched around Ric's throat. His friend's eyes were wide, separating his pupils in a full sea of white and he wanted nothing more than the thrust himself at Elijah and destroy the monster right then and there.

But Elijah saw the move as it flashed through Damon's conscious because he lifted a finger and wiggled it through the air tauntingly. "I'd have his neck snapped before your feet even left the floor."

Seeing there was nothing he could do but follow into Elijah's game, Damon rolled his eyes and asked, "How do you expect to get out of here? You're outnumbered."

"Not quite," Elijah countered with a quick glance to the second exit. There was a full on battle still occurring between the remaining vampires and werewolves. Damon watched for a second and noticed the wave of blonde hair ripple in the back of the crowd quickly followed by Tyler's familiar shaggy brown fur. It came as a relief to see both of his friends still alive, but an even bigger relief when he noticed the vampires had no interest in aiding Elijah. They were only concerned with saving themselves.

It was then Damon realized the difference between his small group of allies and Elijah's. While Eljiah's group was built on fear and forced obedience, his group was based on emotional connections. None of Elijah's troops cared about his life, but each member of Damon's would throw themselves into the line of danger if it meant saving another member.

The differences were easy for Damon to recognize, but instead of voicing his observations out loud, he mentally stored them inside his mind and played into Elijah's plan. "Fine. So what are you proposing?"

Elijah smiled at Damon's faux obedience, buying right into it, and answered, "I'm proposing a battle just between you and me."

"Not your freedom?" Damon foolishly asked before he could help himself.

Elijah's laugh was cold and sinister as it left his throat; no longer friendly like it had been so many times in the past. Damon momentarily wondered how he'd ever bought into the false sincerity of his lieutenant before all of this had gone down. It was strange to think that only a few days ago, the two of them had almost been considered friends.

"Freedom will come afterwards, but I want to see your heart first," Elijah explained.

The acidic haze of the training center had begun to clog Damon's airways. It was easy for him to simply stop the familiar act of inhaling and exhaling the unnecessary air through his lungs, but the humans and most importantly Elena didn't have this luxury.

He could hear their coughing from behind him as his eyes narrowed in Elijah's direction. Thinking fast, he hid the smile that ached to spread across his lips at the thought of Elena's blood secretly supplying him unmatched strength, as he bargained, "Fine. You can have me, but you let the rest of them go."

"Are you bargaining with me, boy?" Elijah asked in disbelief.

"That's exactly what I'm doing," Damon answered in a flat tone.

The elder vampire laughed a second time as his hand tightened around Ric's throat. Damon's friend coughed loudly as Elijah's hand flew lifelessly through the air and he replied, "This girl certainly has changed you, but if that's all you need to stay behind with me alone, they can go."

Damon felt the sigh rise up from his stomach and escape through his lips as Elijah clarified, "But this one stays with me."

"Is that really necessary?" Damon heatedly asked as Elijah's fingers played with the rim of Ric's neck.

"Absolutely," Elijah responded coolly. "Otherwise, your girl over there could easily come back to your aid. I need leverage to keep her away."

Damon then turned back around to Elena and the struggling group of slaves. Their skin was red from the heat with patches of black from the smoke and most were fighting to keep oxygen flowing through their lungs. They were hanging on by a thread and Damon knew he had no other choice. At least this way he could defeat Elijah quickly and pray that Ric holds on until he did so.

He rested his eyes on Elena as he ordered, "Get them to safety. I can handle it from here."

Even as a wolf, her expressions were completely readable and right now Elena's face was showing resistant concern. If she were in her human state, she would have been screaming back comments of opposition, but she wasn't and for that Damon was thankful. They didn't have time to work through an argument over who was going to be the martyr this time.

So, as her pleading eyes penetrated into him, he shot her an understanding smile and reasoned, "You know I'll be okay. You're still with me. Just make sure they get out safely."

Elena understood his hidden statement about her blood and after some slight hesitation she finally nodded her head. She pushed the slaves out of the training center and through the empty passageway to safety.

Damon then turned back around to Elijah whose conceited smirk scorched his insides with enough rage to balance the heat around him.

"You were my biggest disappointment, Damon. You know that?" Elijah asked with an almost believable frown on his lips. "You were our greatest asset and that's why you have to die. I can't stand the sight of looking at you anymore. You're weak."

"Thanks for the compliment," Damon snarkily responded, feeling nothing but confidence flow under his skin.

"And with you out of the way, I can rebuild my army and finally win this ridiculous war," Elijah continued, completely ignoring Damon's comment. "Werewolves will become extinct and I can finally claim the title of ruler over these lands."

Damon scoffed and wanted nothing more than to fire a comeback in Elijah's face, but the image of Ric in his feeble state made him resist. Instead he shook his head from side to side and replied, "Let's save the chit chat and just get on with this. If you want me dead, then what are you waiting for? Do it!"

Elijah rolled his eyes in a way that suggested how much he disapproved of Damon's impatience. It was easy to see the older vamp wanted a grand discussion before this whole thing came to its climax, but Damon didn't have the time to spare.

Instead of waiting, he launched himself at Elijah. The vamp snickered and snapped one of Ric's legs to keep him from escaping before he tossed his body to the side. Damon collided with the elder vamp before his direction changed and he felt his back slam against the stone wall, sending random chucks of rock to the ground.

"How?" he exclaimed as Elijah's hand slid its way against the underside of his jaw.

Elijah's black eyes inched closer to Damon's as he chuckled in amusement. "You didn't think you were the only one drinking from a wolf were you?"

"I assumed so," Damon quipped back through jagged breaths. "I guess I assumed wrong."

"Wrong indeed," Elijah replied almost disinterestedly. "You see, I've known about the effects for months now. And I figured you've been drinking from your girl, but unfortunately for you, I'm older."

"Which means, I'm stronger," he spat out as Damon's body flew against the side wall. His shoulder smashed into the stone, cracking it back a few inches and dislocating the thing.

He let out a sharp cry of agony as pain shot down his left side. He tried to stumble to his feet and realign the thing, but Elijah was too fast for him. The vamp's face was inches from his as Elijah let out a malicious laugh.

He then teased, "Now let's see how much fun we can have before I kill you," before he pulled Damon up and crunched his skull back against the dirt floor.

* * *

Even with the vibrating sound of slave's voices, Damon's cry was distinct as it echoed through the corridor. Apprehension slammed against Elena's chest at the sound of his agony and instantly she knew something was wrong.

Damon should have defeated Elijah. He shouldn't be in pain.

These thoughts swirled through her mind as she considered turning around. She knew she wasn't supposed to go back, but to her, the decision was an easy one to make. If Damon needed help, which it clearly sounded like he did, she'd gladly risk Ric's life in order to save him.

It wasn't exactly her kindest thought, but Damon would do the same for her. She knew it 100%. He'd do it because he loved her, more than anything on this earth, the same way she loved him; and it was that thought that had her spinning around and carrying herself back to the training center.

It took her a few seconds to breach the entryway. Along the way, she'd heard not only one but two cries from Damon, which solidified the fact that his life was in danger. She had no idea why this would be the case, but it only fueled her adrenaline in getting her there as fast as possible.

She launched herself into the heated room. The battle was still in full effect in the other entryway, Ric was lying in a crumpled heap along the wall, and Elijah had Damon pinned to the ground with his hand under Damon's neck. Damon's face was drenched in a liquid Elena could only assume was his own blood. And when Elijah's hand lifted into the air with the intentions of lodging itself through her lover's chest, Elena felt her fury ignite.

Her vision transitioned into red as she propelled herself into the air and sank her canines into Elijah's side. Blood splattered from the wound against the back of her throat. The vampire howled in pain and she vaguely heard Damon's voice in the background as her and Elijah struck the ground. She tried her best to keep her jaw locked tight against the muscle in Elijah's side, but he ripped her teeth free; tearing bits of his flesh during the process.

He then dangled her through the air as Damon quickly popped his shoulder back into the socket and steadied himself into a crouch. His fangs were exposed, blood poured from the impact wound above his left eyebrow, covering his face in a brick red. His eyes were strictly black and he looked downright rabid; almost demonic. Elena wasn't sure she'd ever seen him appear more terrifying as the deafening snarl ripped from his chest.

"One move and I chuck her into that fire," Elijah reasoned through gritted teeth. "It's her fault were all in this mess in the first place."

Elena struggled to free herself from the vampire's hold, but as her paws slashed haphazardly through the air, it became all too apparent that his grip around her neck was too strong. The tips of his fingers jabbed against her windpipe making it almost impossible to breathe. Still, she kept fighting anyway.

Then Damon's face relaxed. His eyes transitioned back to the light ocean color Elena was so accustomed to. They contrasted with the deep red drowning the rest of his face as he pleaded, "You can have me; just let her go."

Inside she screamed objections, but all that came out was howling.

"Problem is, I don't trust you to follow up on your word anymore," Elijah spat back, easily ignoring her attempts to break free. "But honestly, this ending seems more fitting. Now the two of you can perish together."

Damon snarled at the statement, shooting a tremble through Elena's body. He was going to do something stupid and she couldn't let that happen. But what could she do to stop it?

"It's awfully romantic," Elijah added mockingly.

Then Elena felt her body rocket backwards as Elijah tossed her towards the burning flames. Her paws tore through the air as she tried to make traction with anything, but there was nothing. There was only the heat edging closer to her backside as she realized she was drifting dangerously closer to the blaze of the fire.

Damon's voice sounded in her ears as he cried out and hurled himself in her direction, but Elijah reached out and stopped him. And when the flames started to engulf her, they both became merely a blur in her vision.

The searing pain rose across her skin and even through the heat and smoke, Elena still had enough air left in her windpipe to howl out.

She could see nothing but bright light as her body slammed against the dirt ground. She attempted to lift herself from the inferno, but the temperature surrounding her body had already reached a boiling consistency. She smelled burning flesh, very much aware that it was her own, as Elijah's pleas of help slammed against her eardrums.

Two silhouettes remained in her vision as the pain reached an exorbitant level. She desperately tried to hold on and drag herself out of the rising flames, but her strength didn't last long. She faded quickly as her vision blinked in an out. But as the black circle finally closed on her vision and her conscious faded, she saw a dark object tumble to the ground.

It was a single black heart.

* * *

_**Please read and review. :)**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Well, here it is. The final chapter of TCWM. Thank you so much to all of you that have stuck with this story, especially during my huge hiatus. I really appreciate all of your support and reviews along the way. It's truly the reason I keep writing.**

_**I hope you like the final installment. :)**_

* * *

"How is she doing today?" an unfamiliar male voice asked.

"A little better, I guess. It's hard to tell; really," another unfamiliar voice answered. This one distinctly female.

The sounds were muffled as Elena tried to focus on them. It seemed like she was buried under a shallow layer of dirt and the two voices were having a conversation over top of her. The weight of her body certainly made it seem that way. Her head felt full of lead and the surface of her body ached terribly. Everything hurt and although her curiosity was pleading with her to open her eyes, she kept them locked closed in fear of adding any more pain she wasn't sure she could handle.

"Just keep applying the ointment. At least we know that's having an effect," the male voice said. "We'll just have to go off of faith that the rest of her will heal with the skin."

There was a long pause as Elena tried to listen to anything; just something that would take her mind off of the sensation her body was currently experiencing. It felt as though her top layer of skin was disintegrating while she was alive. It burned everywhere and the feeling was almost enough to make her screech out in agony.

"This is going to destroy him if she doesn't wake up," the female voice finally said softly.

"It won't come to that," the male voice disputed in a tone that suggested he believed in what he was saying. "Just stay positive. I'll be outside with the livestock."

The subdued sound of footsteps filled the air as something cold slipped across Elena's cheek. The relief it brought was remarkable and without being able to stop herself, Elena released a soft sigh.

The cold substance stopped moving across her cheek when the female voice asked hesitantly, "Elena?"

At the moment, Elena had absolutely no desire entering into communication. All she wanted was that chilled substance back against her burning flesh. She remained impatiently silent as the voice spoke up again. "Elena, can you hear me?"

It took all of the strength Elena had inside of her to lift her lids open. Immediately she was blinded by a glare of bright light and her thoughts flashed to the burning inferno she'd been trapped in the last time she'd been conscious. She locked her lids back tight and responsively curled herself into a fetal position.

That was a bad move because as she did, shocks of discomfort attacked her skin. She released something in between a scream and a howl as she tried to fight back the ache.

"You're alright," the female voice soothed. "You're just healing. But you can't make sudden movements like that."

The pain slowly started to subside as Elena relaxed her body and reluctantly opened her lids. The same blinding light filled her vision before it gradually died down, allowing her to take in the petite female beside her. Her hair was an auburn color with streaks of blonde throughout and her eyes were a dull hazel as they peered at her with concern.

"Where am I?" Elena croaked out. But as soon as the question left her lips, she knew her answer. Her eyes roamed the familiar simple design of Bonnie' bedroom as they took in the single dresser against the wall and the tiny bed underneath of her. The only difference was the extra bed that had been moved beside hers.

"A friend's cottage," the female answered. "I've been told you've been here before."

Elena nodded her head apprehensively, hating the way her brain seemed to smash up against the sides of her skull as she did.

"How are you feeling?" the woman asked.

"Like I've been to hell and back," Elena deadpanned. "How did you know Bonnie?"

The woman smiled at her question and answered, "She used to supply me with herbal medicine from her garden whenever I needed it. I live relatively close by and she was really the only friend I had since my husband lived in Tyrus." The female then shrugged her shoulders and added, "She was great company."

"I'm sorry she's gone," Elena supplied earnestly, feeling a little nag in her chest.

"It's alright dear, you did what you had to do," the woman reassured with a comforting smile on her face.

Elena's eyes opened wide at the female's answer, but before she had the time to ask who this woman was and how much she knew, it was already being supplied to her.

"I'm Jenna by the way and I've been taking care of you for the past two weeks. You had us all worried there, but before we get to anything else, I wanted to thank you for what you did for my husband, Ric. He wouldn't have made it out alive without you and Damon's compassion."

Suddenly the memories flew back, bombarding Elena with everything her mind had tried to block out. The battle, the slaves, Damon's blood-drenched face, Elijah's hand on her throat, the fire, and the single black heart thudding against the ground.

The pain was no longer an issue as Elena lifted herself into a seated position and hastily asked, "Damon? Is Damon alive?"

Jenna shot back an inch at Elena's sudden movement, before she recomposed herself and assured, "He's here and he's fine. Luckily for him, vampires heal much quicker than werewolves. Don't worry he's been by your side every day since you've gotten here."

Elena took a few deep breaths to steady the franticly beating heart trapped inside of her ribcage. Relief was all she could feel flowing through her veins before it began mixing with the urge to see him. Her mind could focus on nothing else besides that desire.

"Where is he?" she frantically spat out, very aware that she was being extremely rude, but not giving a damn either way.

Damon was alive, that was all she cared about at that precise moment.

"It's alright," Jenna cooed. "He'll be back any second. He just went to the stream to get you some fresh water to clean your wounds."

"I don't need any water. What I need is to see him," she shouted back. Her mind was in a frenzied tizzy because until she did, the concept was almost unreal. She just needed to see his face for absolute confirmation that their suicide mission hadn't claimed either of their lives.

"And you will; just relax. You're body needs to heal," Jenna tried to reason. But Elena was already swiping her legs off of the bed and attempting to lift herself. She pushed back the searing pain washing over her and instead just focused on Damon's face. So much so, that she didn't even realize the image of him in the doorframe wasn't her delusional mind at all, but really him.

"Elena," he breathed; the sound of it coming out as though she was the answer to all of his prayers.

"Damon," she replied back; mimicking his tone because he _was_ the answer to all of hers.

He set the pale of water onto the wooden floor and glided his way into the bedroom over to her. His hand then lifted to stroke through a few satin strands of her hair as he took her in. The beauty of his features was illuminated in a mixture of relief and gratification as a few tiny droplets of moisture appeared in the corners of his eyes.

They seemed to glow like crystals, setting his black pupils apart like never before, as they swept over her face. "Thank god you're alright," he said in barely above a whisper.

Elena distantly heard Jenna excuse herself from the room, but all she could focus on was Damon. His fingers were slipping feather like down her sensitive skin, but his touch didn't hurt. The chill they provided felt phenomenal as the tips moved tenderly along her cheek bones and jawline. And the heat they supplied in the base of her stomach was other-worldly.

"Thank god _you're_ alright," she finally found the will to reply as her hands swept up to cup his cheeks in her palms.

"Does it hurt?" Damon asked as the pad of his thumb slid down her neck and over her shoulder. The concern on his face was nothing but what Elena expected and she was surprised to notice that with him in her presence, the pain was simply a dull vibration.

"Not that much anymore," she responded softly as her lips lifted into a slight smile.

Then she closed her eyes and inched her face towards his. His lips pressed carefully against hers; lovingly yet gently as they molded together. She was very aware of his hand as it slipped towards the back of her neck and into the nape of her hair. Her body instinctively arched into his as she pressed against his front; adoring the way the ripples down his chest inflamed her insides with lust.

She pressed her mouth more harshly against his as the passion ignited, only to notice the heat wasn't just their desires, but the skin of her lips. The inflammation started to become uncomfortable, but Elena urged herself to push on. She wanted him and she didn't care how sore the surface of her body was because surely the pleasure he'd provide her on the inside would surpass it.

But Damon sensed her discomfort immediately and peeled his lips from hers. His hands slid softly down to the sides of her hips and he held her at an arms distance. She pouted as a ghost of a smile spread across his mouth and he reasoned, "It's okay, we have a lifetime for that. I can be patient while you heal."

Elena closed her eyes for a brief second and let out a disappointed huff. He had a point and she knew he was right, but that didn't mean she approved of the situation. They'd just survived the fight of their lives and both had nearly been lost in the process. And all she wanted to do now was celebrate their victory together in a very specific way.

So she made her way to take a seat on her bed, figuring the position would be a good starting point for where she wanted them to head next.

Then she narrowed her eyes and sliced a conniving smile across her lips as she reminded, "You promised that if we made it through everything, you'd forever make it worth my while."

"And I intend to keep my promise; when you're ready," he refuted softly; making his way to her side and placing a light kiss against her cheek. It sent chills down her spine, but not just from her building arousal. Also, because his cool skin felt amazing against her raw cheek.

"But don't forget you promised the same thing," he added with a soft chuckle.

"And I'm ready to fulfill it now," she whispered; inducing her voice with the most seductive appeal she could produce.

She felt him vibrate at the sound of her voice and for a moment she thought she had him. But then he pulled back and sighed; one of those sighs that made her realize how unfair she truly was being. He was just looking out for her health after all.

"I'll make it up to you later down the road," he finally reasoned in a soft tone. "How about that?"

Elena rolled her eyes, clearly defeated, and declared, "I guess that'll work, but only because you saved my life once again."

"Ah, for saving your life after you insanely tried to step in and save mine," he countered. He clicked his tongue around in his mouth before he continued, "We're going to have to stop this because eventually it's gonna get one of us killed."

He then chuckled softly at his statement before Elena declared, "I could never stop trying to save you."

"Yeah, neither could I," Damon responded with a shrug and his signature grin. "But as much as I'd love to take credit for pulling you out of the fire, I can't. It was all Caroline."

"Caroline?" Elena repeated in shock.

Damon nodded his head in confirmation and explained, "She heard your howls; her and Tyler both. She went to your aid and Tyler came to mine."

"But what," Elena started before she cut herself off. "How'd she make it out alive?"

The heat of the flames stretched across her memory and Elena almost recoiled at the thought. She could barely grasp onto the fact that she'd made it out alive. It seemed extremely brave and almost moronic that anyone would throw themselves into that amount of danger to save another.

"Our skin's much more resilient than yours," Damon explained. "It took only a few minutes and a few sips of Tyler's blood for her to heal."

"And here I sit; just waking up two weeks later looking like my insides have been switched with my outsides," she responded bitterly and instantly regretted it. Of course Caroline had saved her; she would have done the exact same for the vamp. If anything she felt grateful and that should have been the emotion she'd shown Damon.

But Damon didn't judge her for it; he knew her too well to think she actually intended for that jealous edge to surface. "You don't look that bad," he reasoned with a grin on his face that only counteracted his statement. "But you'll heal eventually."

She rolled her eyes at his attempt of a lie. He'd never really been a good liar in her presence. "So that's how you were able to defeat Elijah?" she questioned.

Damon nodded his head and answered, "The only reason we both survived and won is because of those two. We owe them everything."

He then paused as his eyes shifted to the sides of their sockets; obviously deep in thought before he continued. "But yes, Tyler helped me. He was the one who got the heart unfortunately," Damon stated with a scowl on his face. "I would have loved the bragging rights to that story."

Elena thought he looked absolutely adorable with his features scrunched in the middle of his face and couldn't resist the slight smile as it spread across her lips. "I'm sure he'll give you a good cameo when he retells it."

"You give him more credit than I do," Damon scoffed.

Elena narrowed her eyes disapprovingly and countered, "And you're incredibly cynical considering he saved your life."

"Yeah well, he's not exactly on my good side right now," he supplied with a slight cock of his head.

"Has he ever been?" Elena retorted.

Damon seemed to consider this for a second; his lips curling upward on one side with his brows. "Briefly before he took a liking towards Caroline."

"Tyler and Caroline?" Elena spat out incredulously.

"Have been spending quite a bit of time together," he supplied with disdain practically dripping down his face. "Unfortunately, she's taken a liking to him as well. Right now I'm sure they're off _picking apples_ together somewhere."

"Damon," she chastised with a tiny giggle. "You of all people should be supportive of a wolf/vampire relationship."

"And I would be, just not her with him," he practically growled out as his eyes focused on a spot on the floor.

"They deserve the right to be happy too," Elena softly reasoned.

His eyes then lifted from the floor and she could see every bit of the color she'd fallen in love with. They were clear as the sky now as his features softened from the tight scowl they'd previously been set. A smile replaced the thin line set across his lips as he questioned, "Are you telling me you're happy?"

She titled her head slightly to the side and reflected his same smile back at him. "Despite everything; you know I am."

"Good," he responded cheerfully with a quick flick of his brows. "Hopefully that means you'll be alright when I tell you that along with Ric and Jenna, two other vampires will be residing with us here."

Elena felt her eyes widen at the information he'd just flew at her. There were a ton of questions parading through her mind now, but one was the most important. "We're staying here?"

"It's secluded, safe, and right in the heart of the forest. You know how much we've always wanted that," he teased with a devilish twinkle in his eye that Elena couldn't help but laugh at.

"And besides, the magic Bonnie casted on this place makes it the perfect spot for two carriers to hide out. It even seems to magically sprout rooms depending on how many people need to reside here," he added.

_Sprout rooms? _she thought. Aloud, she conceded, "Alright, you have a point, but who are these two vampires that will be staying with us?"

"Anna and Trevor," Damon answered in a tone Elena was certainly going to have to get used to. He was chipper, entirely more chipper than she'd ever seen him and the feeling was contagious. Even her skepticism seemed to dissipate as he continued, "They both surrendered when Tyler tried to take them down and he didn't have the heart to kill them after that. Anna's a little distant right now since the wolves killed her mother, but Trevor's helped me train my teams for years. I trust him and you can too."

At the sound of his last statement, Elena found herself smiling from ear to ear. The extreme pull on her cheeks hurt a bit, but she didn't mind in the least. "Is Damon Salvatore speaking to me about trust?" she asked in an amused tone.

"What can I say, I've been told I've become somewhat of a softy," he replied in a joking tone as his shoulders rippled the motions of a shrug. He then brought his face towards hers and teased, "I'm rather embarrassed about it actually, so don't go running your mouth to Caroline."

Elena shook her head through the air and crossed her finger over her heart. She tried to keep up the faux serious nature of their discussion, but was finding it more difficult by the second.

"I wouldn't dare," she urged. "Don't worry, you can trust me," she added with the faintest giggle threatening to escape at the back of her throat.

"Oh, I've always known that," he responded with a soft kiss against her cheek, and this time there was no pretending necessary.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon and a good portion of the evening were spent informing Elena of what had happened over the past two weeks. Damon supplied her with every piece of information she'd missed. Starting off with the reason Elijah had been so difficult to kill and then moving on to the speech he and Caroline had given the vampire commoners waiting reluctantly outside of the castle. Tyler stressed how important it was for him to speak as well, but they figured it best not to show the werewolves in the audience that he had the ability to change at will. That would have brought up questions they didn't want to supply answers to.

Together; the three of them had stood united before the crowd of mixed species and explained the possibility of a new lifestyle; one where war wasn't necessary.

The werewolves were behind them completely. Elena had been correct when she'd assumed they no longer wanted part of this war. They were simply surviving and had no problem supporting vampires who shared this same notion. That included Damon, which came as a relief. Tyler later informed him that this unlikely support was because they'd seen him take down his own species and had developed a new respect for him. Apparently, anyone that chose the survival of everyone over their own particular species received a check of approval in their books.

The vampires were the ones that took some convincing. They'd lived by a ruler for most of their afterlives and feared that without one, things would turn to chaos. But eventually their opinions swayed and they fell in support behind the werewolves. None of them were trained killers, all of those had perished inside of the castle, and given a choice between a peaceful treaty amongst species and a war they weren't prepared for - well, the choice was obvious. They'd chosen the option that ensured their survival.

It took quite a bit of convincing, mostly from Caroline, but their group was able to leave Tyrus without choosing a new king to rule the city. In this new world, everyone was free to make choices for themselves and Damon swore that option of free-will would never be removed from anyone's lives again. Because they'd devised the impossible; a world where vampires, werewolves, witches, and humans were all equals. A world where each species co-existed with the other in harmony. It was the perfect world; one that had the potential to thrive and so far it had.

As the weeks went on, Caroline and Tyler traveled back and forth to Tyrus; always at night of course, just to check on things. The enormous wooden doors were never reconstructed, offering the city the feeling that it was welcome to anyone who chose to enter.

All four species currently resided in the city and inside of the castle. No ruler had been chosen and instead the population just lived freely. According to Caroline, the residents seemed happy and content with their new lifestyle. Almost as happy as Caroline appeared every time her and her dog returned from their private trips.

Elena slowly healed over time, with Damon adhered to her side every day and night. It took somewhere around a month for her scarred skin to return to its normal olive color and another few weeks for her pain to diminish completely.

She'd made a full recovery; still, Damon never felt fully comfortable leaving her alone. He wasn't sure if it was more for his benefit or hers, but right by her side was where he found himself more times than not. It was where he belonged, he'd known it since the first time her chocolate orbs locked onto his and he firmly believed that longing would never disappear.

As the months passed, the relationships throughout their little home deepened.

Damon and Tyler had somehow buried the hatchet and Damon even found himself considering the wolf boy a friend. His and Ric's friendship was more solid than ever and when Ric had shared the news about the child Jenna was expecting, Damon couldn't have been more pleased for his friend. Apparently, they were hoping for a girl and if this ended up being the case, they'd already chosen the name of Charlotte.

Trevor and Anna had started to share the same bedroom, which was only expected as the time progressed. They were the only unattached members of the household and libidos tend to get a bit rowdy over time.

Elena remained closest with Caroline, of course, and often Damon found himself searching for his girl only to hear she'd gone off with the female vamp for a sword training session. But she'd also developed a close relationship with Anna. Everyone here had lost at least someone from their family during the course of the war, but Elena seemed to offer Anna the most compassion and understanding.

Then there was Damon's relationship with Elena. It seemed to keep sparking over time; never losing the combustion effect it held when they first rediscovered each other. Most of their nights were spent rolling around under the sheets, but occasionally they'd find themselves against one particularly familiar tree.

They were practically inseparable and any fear Damon had about this lifestyle of social confinement disappeared after the first few weeks living in the forest. This was always where he'd felt most comfortable and with her by his side, he'd never felt more content or alive. He was never bored and Elena never failed to keep surprising him. Their desire for the other never faded and it was that thought that made him slip his arm around her now.

They were sitting on the edge of the stream watching the silver liquid flow swiftly between the rocks; the sound of the water soothing as she leaned into him. Her eyes were closed as she nuzzled her head against his shoulder and he watched her breath in the lavish scent of their surroundings. Her face was angelic with the faintest smile reflecting just how content she was in the moment and he couldn't help think that he felt exactly the same way she appeared.

They sat there like that for the longest time, both molded into the other because above anything else, this is what felt the most natural – the most right. And as the sun finally started to set on the horizon, casting streaks of purples and blues between the trees, Elena lifted her head to look at him.

"Do you think it's possible that this is going to last?" she asked; her doe eyes peering up at him with indecision shadowing her features.

"What do you mean?" he skeptically asked. "Us?"

"No, of course not us," she answered with a smile stretched across her lips. The falling sky of night had no effect diming the glow of her radiance as she corrected, "This peace between our species. This world we live in. Do you really think it will stick?"

Damon honestly wasn't sure. When you had two species with the capability to live for eternity; it was hard to predict what could happen. There was just too much time to take into consideration and only that time would tell if their peace stuck.

So, he gave Elena a gentle squeeze and answered, "I'd like to hope so; otherwise everything we did would have been for nothing."

She shook her head slowly through the air and countered, "I don't think that's true." But then she seemed to contemplate this for the longest second before she finally asked, "But what if it doesn't? Would you regret anything we did?"

At that, Damon found himself considering every choice he'd made over the course of their lives. The choice he'd made to save her family that started everything. The choice he'd made to keep his distance because he feared she'd perish. The choice to finally listen to Demetra and give in to his desires. The choice to kill Klaus and escape with Elena. The choice to come back to save Caroline. The choice to ultimately take a stand and destroy those that were limiting the happiness of others in this world. And ultimately, the choice to stand beside Elena throughout all of the others.

He knew he hadn't been the only one to make choices in the past few months; Elena surely made difficult ones on her own. But looking back he honestly couldn't say he regretted a single one.

So he shook his head slightly and smiled at her before placing a kiss against the soft skin of her forehead. "I wouldn't," he declared, "because every choice I made has led me right here to this moment with you."

She reflected the smile still stretched across his lips as hers approached his. They met and molded together, forcing everything beautiful about their surroundings to just fade into oblivion. In reality the kiss was over quickly, but time always seemed to extend unrealistically when their passion ignited. And as a result, Damon was surprised to see the tip of the sun still peaking over the horizon when they broke apart.

He felt Elena's body fall further against his as she nuzzled back into her designated spot on his shoulder. Damon noticed how perfectly she fit against him and understood that, without a doubt, he'd make the same choices again, as long as they resulted in gaining her.

And when Elena finally replied, "I wouldn't either," with conviction strengthening her statement; he knew they had nothing to worry about when it came to their future choices. Because he'd already made the most important one of his lifetime; and he was 100% confident that he'd chosen correctly.

* * *

_**Please read and review. :)**_

**For those of you interested, I've already started writing my next story. It's going to be titled, "How Never Became Forever" and it should be posted within the next day or two.**


End file.
